United-Pulse (by Werner et al, 2008)

United-pulse is composed of two rings which are not completely closed. The inside of each ring contains a pulse measure system. When one of the partners closes the gap, the skin resistance of the fingertip is used to close the circuit of the ring. As a consequence, he/she feels the other partner’s heart rate, which is transmitted by vibrations of the ring. The data are transferred through a wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth). The prototype consists of a small vibration motor that translates every heartbeat into a small vibration. Depending on the heart rate, the vibration motor runs faster or slower. The prototype measures the pulse by an ordinary PClinked pulse oximeter.

Source: Werner, J., Wettach, R., and Hornecker, E. 2008. United-pulse. In Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Human Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (MobileHCI’08). ACM Press, 535–538.
http://www.juliawerner.com/

Technology and Artifacts | UX-Relatedness