Culture: Visual arts
hearty   (+4)  [vote for, against]
helium balloon as visual heart contraction monitor

Wrist heartrate monitors are common now and some send data to another device like a cellphone. What if there was a microcontroller that received this data and manipulated a pressure actuator hooked, via a tube, to a helium balloon.

The helium balloon's expansion and contraction could made to reflect the contractions of the heart and float, angelically, just a foot above the head. The shape of the balloon could be chosen from a set to indicator personality.

A party group dynamic would be interesting with everyone having physiological state tell. This would range from are you lying, to is there a spark or is everyone's heart in sync with this song. Or sadly, they've taken to many drinks.

If used with a large crowd, a sea of pulsing balloons jostling with individuality and cascading with collectivity might be a wonder to behold.
-- wjt, Dec 07 2016

I read recently of an artist who wired a heartrate monitor to a glowing pendant. Can't find a link.
-- pocmloc, Dec 07 2016


[+] 'cuz then you could see if people automatically sync up.
-- FlyingToaster, Dec 07 2016



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