Emotional Technology

My project at university to redesign the community alarm led me to look into a lot of wearable technology, of which I was coming across more and more apparently 'emotionally capable' technology. Heres some examples of the things which caught my eye.

Bond wearables let two geographically separate people touch each other.

Bond is a modular wearable device that come in pairs. When one person touches their device, the other person will feel it.

"It's not about tweets, it's about tickles,"

If the wearer of one of the devices touches it for a second, their friend will get a one-second "tickle" (much like a phone vibration). Tickles can last up to five seconds and will appear as a different colour depending on how long it's touched for. If you swipe the Bond, it will send a "rainbow tickle". 

"The way we communicate with each other has been revolutionised by the mobile. But one thing that has been lost is the art of touch," explains Kwame Ferreira, CEO of Kwamecorp.

now this is quite a mild version of emotionally capable technology that I could perhaps get onboard with. A cute idea for keeping in touch with loved ones across the globe.

Perhaps a move intrusive take on tech that pulls on our heart stings is the The chastity bra that only opens when you find true love. Now this one sounds a bit bonkers, how on earth would a bra know when you had found true love?! Surely this is all a joke!

Apparently not, ‘saucy Japanese lingerie brand Ravijour has upped the ante with a bra that pops open when you discover true love. Like a chastity belt for the social network age, the bra remains firmly locked shut most of the time, to defend its wearer from the hordes of sleazy menfolk trying to weasel their way in. But as soon as Prince Charming arrives, it bursts open with a gleeful spring.’

A cunning sensor built into the bra detects the wearer's heart rate and sends it to a special smartphone app for analysis, via Bluetooth. The app then calculates the “True Love Rate” based on changes in the heart rate over time. When this rate exceeds a certain value – hey-presto! – the hook opens.

or how about the intimacy 2.0 dress that gradually turns transparent as you become ‘excited’.

So here’s the complete other side of the spectrum, and I’m not sure which I find more scary. From technology becoming a barrier between us and our loved ones, to technology that can apparently understand our emotions and tell us when we’ve found ‘true love’. Whats next? Condoms that burst open, when they can tell you're are ready to have children?!