Echo Sphere 

About

EchoSphere is an interactive installation where users express emotions through a sensor-enabled balloon, which translates touch, sound, and movement into dynamic physical outputs such as LED light patterns, smoke effects, and bubbles. Designed as a shared space, EchoSphere lets one or more participants experience how emotions can shape an environment in real time.

The project addresses the theme of data physicalisation by transforming intangible emotional data—captured through sensors (force, touch, accelerometer, microphone)—into visible, tangible, and immersive experiences. This approach makes personal and social emotional states more accessible, engaging, and interactive, allowing participants to explore the impact of mood and intensity through physical manifestations.

Built with:

• Sensors & Hardware: Arduino Nano, force-sensitive resistors, capacitive touch (foil), accelerometer, microphone.

• Outputs: Addressable LED light strips, smoke machine, bubble machine.

• Software: Arduino IDE for programming microcontrollers, custom interaction design for sensor-to-output mapping.

• Prototyping: Balloon-based controller, iterative design, and low-fidelity room mock-ups.