Two very interesting experiential devices are debuted as part of a special project by Sandeep Hoonjan and Xianzhi Zhang—students of the Royal College of Art in London, UK. Dubbed 'Feel the Conversation,' the emerging designers have developed the gadgets as a means to ease the mental stress of not experiencing genuine human connection over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hand-held experiential devices are geared toward allowing people "to physically experience conversations." The two design enhancements can connect to a phone and "translate the user's speech into a series of simple haptic patterns" that derive meaning from intonation and volume. One of the experiential devices is a brush-style silicone feeler, while the other is shaped like a tongue.
Image Credit: Dezeen
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Haptic Communication Devices
- Opportunity to develop devices that enable physical communication through haptic feedback.
- Experiential Gadgets
- Opportunity to design experiential gadgets that can help ease mental stress during difficult situations.
- Pandemic-inspired Design
- Opportunity for designers to develop innovative products that address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sectors Adopting This
- Consumer Electronics
- Consumer electronics manufacturers can explore the development of haptic communication devices to enhance user experiences.
- Healthcare
- Healthcare providers can potentially use experiential gadgets to help patients cope with mental stress caused by isolation and other factors.
- Design
- The design industry can use the pandemic as an opportunity to create impactful and meaningful products that can help people in various aspects of life.
