The document describes Jessica Floeh's concept for an art installation called "Moody". [1] Moody would be an interface that uses colored lights to provide feedback on a person's energy based on how they hold it, [2] striving to investigate how a perceived biofeedback device impacts self-perception. Precedents discussed use sensors to interpret emotional states and ambient spaces. A prototype used a fake biometric sensor and button to cycle lights and interpret personality, but lacked legitimacy. Moody aims to have a less sterile, more playful design to subtly influence how people view their own energy.

1. moody Major Studio Final by Jessica Floeh

2. c o n c e p t A social experiment with pseudoscientific technology that strives to investigate the effectiveness of a perceived biofeedback interface and its impact on perception of self.

3. p r e c e d e n t s -Saoirse Higgins : r>emote -Biometric sensor (GSR) feeds data into digital space -Interprets emotional level -Responds according to mood and inner energy -Ambience of space changes based on response

4. p r e c e d e n t s -Saoirse Higgins & Ian Gwitt: mFish -Digital interpretation of physical object, The Fortune Telling Fish -Projection of fish changes shape when hand disrupts the projection. “ Responds digitally to our human energy” -“Responds to mood of participant”

5. p r e c e d e n t s -Bill Gaver : Home Health Monitor -Various sensors attached to household objects, such as a couch, door or hairbrush monitoring peoples’ activity. -Based on the data from these sensors, a monitor displays a horoscope for the house. -Gives feedback about home’s emotional, social and spiritual health.

6. p r e c e d e n t s -Lisa Stead : Emotional Wardrobe -Stimulates emotional response. -Changes color in response to emotions of the wearer or presence of a viewer. -Uses body sensors, translates an inferred change in emotional state. -LEDs create various patterns of color.

7. p r o t o t y p e -Multi-color LED interface connected to fake biometric sensor.

8. p r o t o t y p e -Participant was asked to put on finger sensor. -I pressed a red button, this cycled through every color of the multi-color LED for 20 seconds. -One color would hold after this point. -I interpreted the color as personality type. -It was a believable interface, but the interpretation was not. -Interaction with the button made it less legitimate.

9. p r o t o t y p e -This interface was too serious and sterile. Required a more specific and sterile environment. -I wanted to have something with less wires, something less threatening…

10. M o o d y -An energy interpreter. -If it likes your energy, it will cycle through its colors and pick your mood color. -You must hold it gently and place your thumbs on its eyes. -If it doesn’t like your energy, it will act strange; pick random colors at random times.

11. M o o d y -Energy is determined by the color that Moody finally decides on. -Moody doesn’t waste time on people with bad energy. -I interpret for Moody, since he can only communicate through light.

12. a u d i e n c e -Twenty-somethings. People in social situations (at bars, parties, etc) trying to meet people with good energy. -People who lack confidence in their perception of self and others.