FOR YOU

Arduino board, pulse sensor, vibration motor, LED, jumper wires, breadboard, USB cable, necklace/choker form, 3D printed open coffin pendant, red wire decoration, laptop, p5.js, p5.webserial, and digital images of my cat.

The pulse sensor reads the wearer’s heartbeat/pulse signal and sends the data to p5.js through serial communication. The p5.js sketch controls the visual memory/candle reveal on screen, while the Arduino triggers the LED and vibration motor to create a small haptic response.

Materials and Tools:

- Arduino board

- Pulse sensor

- LED

- Vibration motor

- Jumper wires

- Breadboard

- Resistors

- USB cable

- Computer

- p5.js editor

- p5.webserial library

- Necklace / choker base

- 3D printed pendant or handmade pendant form

- Red wire for visual and circuit connection

- Cat images for the p5.js visual

- Tape, glue, or other materials for attaching the circuit to the wearable form

The idea of this project started from my memory of my cat. I wanted to create something that was not only a wearable object, but also a small emotional ritual.

Instead of making a normal necklace, I wanted the object to feel close to the body. The choker form makes the piece stay near the neck and the pulse sensor connects the project to the wearer’s body. When the body is detected, the project responds through light, vibration, and visual memory.

The main question behind this project is: if I could go back to one moment, how would I feel my cat again? This project does not fully answer that question, but it creates a small space where memory can appear again.

For the physical form, I designed the necklace as an open coffin shape. I wanted it to look a little fragile and emotional, but not completely dark or scary.

The open coffin shape represents loss, but because it is open, it also represents freedom. It is not about closing my cat inside. It is more about keeping a space open for memory.

I also used red wires as part of the visual design. These wires are not only technical connections. They also look like blood vessels. This helped me connect the circuit design with the emotional meaning of the project.

The circuit uses a pulse sensor as the input. The LED and vibration motor are the outputs.

In my version:

- Pulse sensor signal connects to A0

- LED connects to digital pin 9

- Vibration motor connects to digital pin 8

- Power and ground are connected through the Arduino

I also have a button if you want to reset the p5js or you want to begin the journey. When the pulse sensor value is higher than the threshold, Arduino turns on the LED and vibration motor. It also sends the sensor value to p5.js through serial communication.

The Arduino code reads the pulse sensor value and sends it to the computer through Serial. It also controls the LED and vibration motor.

The most important part of the code is setting a threshold. When the pulse sensor value is above the threshold, the project understands that the necklace is being worn or touched, and then the outputs are activated.

The p5.js part creates the digital memory experience. I used images of my cat and a candle-like reveal effect. When the sensor value is detected, the visual slowly appears on the screen.

I wanted the visual to feel like a memory coming back, not like a normal slideshow. The reveal is slow because grief and memory are also slow. They do not appear all at once. They come back in fragments.

During testing, I focused on three main things:

1. Whether the pulse sensor could detect the body in a stable way.

2. Whether the vibration felt gentle instead of too strong.

3. Whether the visual timing felt emotional and clear.

One challenge was that the pulse sensor values were not always stable. Sometimes the value changed too much, so I needed to adjust the threshold and make the interaction less flickery.

Another challenge was balancing the technical part with the emotional part. I did not want the project to feel like only a circuit demonstration. I wanted the technology to support the feeling of memory.

The final version of FOR YOU is both a wearable object and a memory interface. It uses the body as a way to activate memory. When the pulse sensor responds, the project creates light, vibration, and image reveal.

The most successful part of the project is that the interaction feels personal. The vibration is small, but it makes the necklace feel alive. The visual also helps connect the physical object to the story of my cat.

If I continue this project in the future, I want to make the necklace form cleaner and more comfortable to wear. I also want to improve the sensor stability and make the p5.js visual more polished. I hope the project can become a stronger portfolio piece, but also remain something very personal to me.