The Whisper Pillow allows couples to leave messages for each other. It is designed for couples living together or at least close by, but not seeing each other due to mismatches in daily routines (e.g., because of shift work). The pillow is, thus, more about asynchronous messaging than messaging over a distance. The pillow features a message pocket. If the pocket is empty and opened by a user, a voice recording starts. It records a messages whispered into the pocket. Simultaneously, the end of the pillow inflates and creates an impression of being "filled" with the message. The recording ends with closing the pocket. If a full pocket is opened, the message is played back, deleted, and the pillow deflates. To ensure that user do not play back their own messages, the pillow features a color-coded pocket on each side of the pillow (although both pockets activate the same mechanism). Thus, after leaving a message, the user is asked to turn the pillow to the partner's side to signify that a new message is waiting.
Source: Chien, W., Diefenbach, S., Hassenzahl, M. 2013. The whisper pillow: a study of technology-mediated emotional expression in close relationships. In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Designing Pleasurable Products and Interfaces (DPPI '13), 51-59.
