Long Distance Relationship bracelet

Aiming to leverage the low threshold to make a fully custom designed electrochromic display, we developed functional prototypes of a wearable jewelry bracelet. The bracelet incorporated several EC displays which the wearer and their partner could make a personal design based on shared personal knowledge and icons within their relationship. Particularly the aim of the artifacts was to support long distance relationships (LDRs). One LDR bracelet is worn by each partner in a long-distance relationship, and through a connected mobile app, partners can send personal messages, e.g. telling emotional feelings, that are visible on the other’s bracelet. The design process has been published as Li et al. (2020) and Jarusriboonchai et al. (2020). The integration of the bracelet prototypes was particularly challenging due to the miniaturization level needed, e.g. display size 1 cm x 1 cm.

Li, H., Jarusriboonchai, P., Müller, H., Harjuniemi, E., & Häkkilä, J. (2020). Emotional Communication between Remote Couples: Exploring the Design of Wearable Ambient Displays. In Proceedings of the 11th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Shaping Experiences, Shaping Society. ACM Open access: https://lacris.ulapland.fi/files/6739008/Emotional_communication_between_remote_couples.pdf

Jarusriboonchai, P., Li, H., Harjuniemi, E., Müller, H., & Häkkilä, J. (2020). Always with Me: Exploring Wearable Displays as a Lightweight Intimate Communication Channel. In Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction. ACM