Vital+Morph: A Shape-changing Interface for Remote Biometric Monitoring

Abstract

In this paper we introduce Vital+Morph, a prototype of a shape-changing interface intended to be used as a media for remote biometric monitoring. Signals measured by a Vital Signs Monitoring Station are physicalized into a series of reactive tangible objects with a life-like behavior. Through this interface a person can feel the internal state of an hospitalized patient, as a new form of communication and awareness over distance. We propose a perceptual equivalent of an imaginative material capable of displaying digital information through shape-changing, and start to explore the social impact in complex contexts such as health care. Ultimately, Vital+Morph proposes an unusual viewpoint of the relations between bodies, clinical data and future materials.