The Neck Hammock

The 3 iterations of prototypes I made: one arduino with an inflatable silicone pouch, two arduinos with square plastic pouches, and two arduinos with balloons and a sewn neck pillow.

Summary: For my master’s thesis, I completed a first-person Somaesthetic design project around the sensation of “rocking”. The final result is a shape-changing pillow called the “Neck Hammock”.

Skills: Soma design, autobiographical and first-person design methods, physical interaction design, microcontrollers.

Time spent: 14 months.

Myself using the 3rd iteration of the Neck Hammock while wearing an eye mask and ear buds.
Photos of me performing Feldenkrais-inspired activities and my record of these activities.

For my master's thesis I explored a field of design which has strong originas from my graduate school KTH in Sweden. Somaesthetic Design is a holistic framework for designing and evaluating aesthetic experiences. By aesthetics, I mean a core principle that defines an interaction’s qualities. This framework makes use of the “soma”, i.e. the body, emotions, and interactions we feel with the world around us. I decided that the sensation I wanted to explore was rocking. I believed rocking meant something different to me as a dancer, than someone else as a parent. Could I communicate my understanding of rocking to another person?

After 22 first-person Feldenkrais-inspired investigative sessions, and 3 prototypes, I was successful in recreating my version of rocking.

To do this, I constructed a neck pillow which made use of 2 air pumps controlled by Arduinos. For the full experience, earplugs and an eye mask were used to block out the other senses. The results of which were profoundly impactful. If you have ever used or heard of a sensory deprivation chamber, this created a similar experience. The Neck Hammock differed however because it evoked a very specific visualization; rocking.

A graphical explanation of the 3 variables crest, period, and amplitude, which I used in my thesis.

This project is near and dear to my heart. Designing on something so relaxing and pleasant to use was such a delight. Unfortunately, I did this project during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and so my access to materials were heavily limited. I would have liked to try stronger air pumps, different materials, and 3D printing an interface.