BeepMeep
Exchanging rings, being together, being in harmony <3 The bond between couples during pregnancy.
A study project by Ali Haidari, Gloria Maksimovic, Nini Parlagaschwili and Han Tran
4th semester, 2020
Supervisors: Prof. Claudius Coenen, Prof. Tsunemitsu Tanaka and Dr Stefan Voigt
The basics
Emotional, physical and situational changes can all lead to feelings of uncertainty as well as anticipation during pregnancy. The people carrying the baby experience the most changes in their daily life. Coping with this new situation, as well as the stresses of everyday life, can quickly become overwhelming and lead to further stress. This stress is triggered by various factors. The new situation, the consequences or fears that come with it, as well as everyday tasks and emotional changes – particularly for the person carrying the baby – all contribute to high levels of stress.
Stress during pregnancy has physical and psychological effects, which can also have long-term consequences for the child.
The idea
For expectant parents who want to relax and have fun amidst the stresses of everyday life, BeepMeep is an interactive entertainment system that enables pregnant couples to create harmonies together through closeness and touch in a light-hearted and playful way.
Unlike Wave or Touch Me, our system is interactive, easy to use and generates harmonious melodies that foster meaningful and restorative moments for the couple.
How to use it
By each partner putting on their two rings, both actively agree to use the system. Now the fun can begin.
BeepMeep reacts to the partners’ movements and the distance between them. Depending on how they move – how fast and in which direction – the sound produced changes. Working together, both partners can now create sounds that blend into melodies. Further sounds are added as soon as the couple begin to touch each other. Touch opens up a new layer of sounds and also a new level of perception for the couple. With BeepMeep, the intense experience of physical interaction can now also be perceived aurally.
The technology
The technology
The partner’s touch is assessed by so-called galvanic skin response sensors and converted into sounds. The Galvanic Skin Response method measures the skin’s conductivity based on its moisture levels. In this way, the partners’ sensations are detected through changes in the skin’s resistance and converted into sounds.
Motion sensors and Bluetooth Low Energy are used to gather further data for converting proximity and movement into sounds.
Pictures
