Luca Rudenstine

NuVu OIS 2020

Growing Sensations

Growing Sensation Therapy is a wearable bodysuit with a built in therapeutic accessories designed with the purpose of reducing stress. Using personalized aromatherapy, heat, and compression, the clothing piece was constructed to incorporate a number of different meditation methods and address areas where the body holds stress.

 With the rapid spread of COVID-19, millions of jobs have been lost, schools shut down, and “regular life” as we know it put on hold. The harm this virus imposes on the world has many people in a state of stress. At the start of my brainstorming phase, I reflected on the many different emotions I was experiencing. Each day I have woken up with a tiny seed of stress growing in my stomach. It rithers up my body to my throat where it forever lodges itself. It is a slight stress -- not enough to debilitate or over-consume, but it is there nonetheless. This visualization of stress as a plant growing inside my body prompted me to imagine a wearable piece centered around releasing physical stress in the body. 

This suit is worn as a second skin. While the bodysuit is on, the article releases a number of different responses to address different nodes in the body. Constructed using heat conductive fabric, as well as flexible nylon-lycra blend material, the garment is tight and compresses the figure to promote blood flow and mimic a hug. Wires connected to a programmed arduino run along the suit, creating a visual branching affect. A touch sensor is attached to the user's finger. Once the sensor makes contact with the fabric, heat runs through the suit. Thermochromic pigment has been stamped onto the garment as a visualization of the activity as well as a representation of the plant. Personalized scents have been programmed into yeast to produce a number of different smells to target comforting memories. Possible scents are rain, babies skin, freshly baked cookies, and autumn leaves. In the prototyping model, oil pad diffusers are placed along the garment. When the piece heats up, the oil pads begin secreting essential oil blends which can be customizable to the users choosing.