The idea was born out of my personal experience as an international student struggling with the limitations of traditional communication methods, which had led to a period of depression. During my time in Korea, I shared a deep connection with my family, particularly my mother, with whom I had a daily routine of spending quality time together. This routine involved sitting down after dinner to enjoy some tea or beer and light snacks, during which we engaged in heartfelt conversations about everything from everyday matters to more serious issues. This cherished ritual provided me with great comfort and a sense of closeness to my mother.

The feeling of being in the same time and space is a crucial aspect of in-person interaction that is challenging to replicate remotely. Conventional methods of remote communication, such as mobile phones, are limited in their ability to convey the feeling of co-existence, falling short in conveying emotions that are often communicated through nonverbal cues and physical touch.

To address this issue, Touch Glow aims to convey co-existence alongside metaphysical messages to support LDRs' authentic interaction. This insight brings one major design value to the project: to create a unique and immersive interactive experience that allows users to feel co-existent with t heir loved ones, regardless of their location.

Service Structure

Touch Glow's service structure was designed to address specific pain points of its target audience - the desire for intimate interaction regardless of time and distance and a reminder of cherished moments together. To enable remote interaction, Touch Glow comprises two objects: a tableware plate and a table lamp.

The tableware is equipped with a sensor that detects the presence of cups when placed on the plate. This interaction triggers the table lamp to light up, creating a connection between users regardless of their locations via the internet environment.

Service Flow

Making process

To create the perfect shape of the flower petal, I began by making prototypes using paper to get a sense of the process. Afterward, I tried different materials to see how they would affect the final result. Through multiple rounds of iteration and testing, I was able to develop the pattern that yielded the desired shape of the flower. For the material, I used Korean washi paper, which is one of my mother’s favorite art materials and also have a good characteristics for shaping edges, attaching pieces, and so on.

Other parts of objects are made up of 3D printing. I created 3D modeling with Rhino, the 3D modeling program, and 3D printed them to get the exact shape that I want.

3D rendering images of the table lamp & the tableware

Technology

Prototyping the Arduino and ESP 32 board for the lighting function