Nervous Network
October 28, 2022
SEC Undergraduate Loungein collaboration with hAR/VRd
Photos by Kunal Botla
Rarely are we conscious of subtle fluctuations in our internal states, yet our biosignals can convey multitudes about our ourselves and others. Nervous Networks is a series of social experiences using wearable technology, biosensing, and virtual/augmented reality to illustrate collective experiences of emotions such as fear. Through developing sensor-visualization technologies, we aim to make visible the emotional states of groups of people as they collectively experience something together.
In our first iteration, Nervous Network, we examined shared experiences of fear. In our Halloween-themed monthly public event, we engaged participants in building interconnected VR wearables that pulsed to their heartbeat to achieve a “bioluminescent” effect. We connected every participant to each other, creating a network that lit up with increasing heartrates as we watched horror films together. Using long-exposure photography, we illuminated the otherwise internal affect of fright buildup during a shared scary experience.
Team
Project Lead, Design, & ConceptPeggy Yin ‘25
Technology
Alice Cai ‘25 (Software)
AnhPhu Nguyen ‘25 (Hardware)
Join Nervous Network iteration 2: email pyin@college.harvard.edu