Our re-design of the beanie was inspired by the functional need to recognize and regulate our emotions throughout the day. Every single decision we make, whether it’s getting that extra “pump” of sweetener in that Starbuck’s coffee or deciding how to approach that annoying work email, is drastically affected by our emotional state at the time of decision making. Self-tracking technologies have come a long way and it is now becoming understood that simply tracking one’s own data is not enough to motivate any sort of meaningful change. What has been found to work, however, is instantaneous feedback that can nudge the user at the time of decision making.

Our product, the WUZA, is designed to do just that. Through the use of EEG, piezoresistive material, and sweat sensing technologies we are able to approximate the emotional state of the user and provide instantaneous feedback through cooling material, bone conductive headphones, and micro-massages. EEG is typically used for identifying a user’s focus. Piezoresistive material is known to me able to measure micro-changes in muscle movement, which when placed above the brow, can monitor multiple muscles that are used extensively in emotional states. Lastly, sweat sensors are good for approximating excited states, whether angry or happy. Together, these technologies can approximate key emotional states that can have huge impacts on the users’ decisions.

Instead of relying upon a smart phone notification or cumbersome graphs of user’s data to provide feedback, our product aims to use devices built into its structure to nudge behaviors in the moment that it matters. Physiological changes have been shown to alter psychological states. By using cooling technologies and micro-massages, we are able to intervene during emotional states that prove to be detrimental to the user’s decision making. In addition, bone-condtuctive headphones allow music to be played to prevent certain detrimental emotional states, while allowing the users to still be able to hear during the decision making process. Together, these instant-feedback technologies allow us to intervene when the user needs it.

In this way, WUZA is a non-obtrusive, functional, and simple device that allows consumers to better manage their emotions in day-to-day situations. The WUZA adapts and provides emotional guidance through its advanced technologies, while also complementing one’s taste of fashion. Furthermore, its lightweight product is comfortable in any temperature and we believe that the quality of the fabric also enables this product to perfectly transition from day-to-evening wear without calling any attention to the fact that it is a wearable technology.