This document describes a music player called Kokoro that selects songs based on the user's heart rate. Kokoro establishes an interaction model where the user's heart rate leads them to different music, providing an alternative way to listen without conscious decisions. It functions by classifying music into 7 levels based on heart rate bpm and playing songs that match or are just above/below the user's current heart rate. This project explores using biofeedback to control digital devices and experiences.

1. Anaid Gomez-Ortigoza
ITP 2009

2. heart + music
music leads
mood leads

3. heart + music
relax energize

4. heart + music
scare
relax energize
sell
accompany

5. music decisions
look for an artist / album / song
alphabetically
make playlists
listen in random
shuffle
genius

6. about me
my work at ITP has focused on simple interfaces
feel magical
assistive component

7. Interaction
heart rate
autonomic nervous system
body regulates heart, increasing
and decreasing it
not conscious

8. kokoro
alternative way to listen
to music, with our heart
leading us.

9. kokoro
establishes an
interaction model
software / hardware
proof of concept

10. kokoro

11. why?
• closeness

12. why?
• closeness
• serendipity

13. why?
• closeness
• serendipity
• body awareness

14. why?
• closeness
• serendipity
• body awareness
• alternative

15. for whom it is
those who want to use a
music player when they
exercise and/or relax.
who don’t always spend
a lot of time creating
playlists.
who want to navigate
their music in a new way.

16. for whom it isn’t
intricate playlist
designers.
those who know what
they want to listen to
and when.

17. related projects
navigate with different
premisses like mood.
it needs the user’s
constant conscious
input.

18. related projects
color as a way to chose
music
user choses the color
associated with the song
conscious decisions, no
body awareness.

19. background research
wearable
heart and heart rate changes
djs, music to induce states
user scenarios, universal design

20. classification for music
level 7, 160 or higher
level 6, 140 or higher
level 5, 120 or higher
level 4, 100 or higher
level 3, 80 or higher
level 2, 70 or higher
level 1, 60 or lower

21. system
turn on
status light comes on
counts your beats and averages
plays a song in your
current heart rate level
counts your beats and averages
if it changes it finds a song in the
new level

22. system
turn on
status light comes on
counts your beats and averages
plays a song in your
current heart rate level
counts your beats and averages
if it changes it finds a song in the
new level
80

23. system
plays a song one hr level
higher than yours
counts your beats and averages
if your hr changes it finds a song
one level above the new average

24. system
plays a song one hr level
higher than yours
counts your beats and averages
if your hr changes it finds a song
one level above the new average
80

25. system
plays a song one hr level
lower than yours
counts your beats and averages
if your hr changes it finds a song
one level below the new average

26. system
plays a song one hr level
lower than yours
counts your beats and averages
if your hr changes it finds a song
one level below the new average
80

27. system
skips the current song
counts your beats and averages
finds another song in the current
hr level

28. see it working

29. system
set it and let it respond to your body.
no decision making.
conscious choices are there if
necessary.

30. materiality
soft interface
clear metaphors
easy-to-find buttons

31. a look inside

32. process

33. process

34. future
for this project
bigger picture
instructional video
interactions where biofeedback
datalogging. plays a part in controlling your
digital devices.
iTunes plug in
inspired by this project
iPod Arduino Library

35. Thank you
Anaid Gomez Ortigoza
anaid@mac.com