Aura is a set of wearable devices that enables non-verbal communication between expecting parents. The project aims to explore alternative ways of communicating beyond what current screen-based services offer: in particular, to extend current applications of biometric monitoring beyond the fields where it is currently most used - medicine and sports. The project is inspired by the ‘critical design’ approach, but does not occupy its most provocative side. The service is embodied in two physical objects: a garment for the expectant mother and a bracelet for her partner. Foetal movement is translated into a light message for the mother-to-be and a haptic one for her partner. The simultaneous connection of the two people enhances the emotional ‘messages’ transmitted by the devices. The relationship is participatory, and the actions of both partners shape the ‘conversation’.
