EmbER (Embodied Experience Remotely) explores the use of wearable sensory devices, communicating nonverbal signals, as an additional communication channel in virtual and remote interactions.
Social interaction is a critical element of our psychological well-being: Deprivation of human interaction, including experiences of social isolation and loneliness, has been shown to cause significant harm to both mental and physical health. Our current tools for virtual communication are able to simulate many elements of face-to-face social interaction, but they fall short in many other ways with potential psychological health ramifications.
EmbER aims to contribute information about more emotionally rich forms of remote communication, based on research in nonverbal communication and the role of the senses on emotional perception.