Adult Mobile
Designing a Multisensory Environment for Emotional ReflectionInteractive Installation
Spring 2025
Medium:
- Spatial Design
- Arduino Interaction
- Sound Design
- Multisensory Experience
Duration:
Approx. 1 min interaction cycle
Adult Mobile is an interactive installation that reinterprets the traditional baby mobile as an emotional interface for adults. Inspired by the idea that childhood memories often provide comfort, the project explores how light, sound, scent, and spatial enclosure can create moments of pause and reflection in adult life.
Experience System
Visual
→ Warm diffused light
Auditory
→ Footsteps on leaves & fragmented voice
Olfactory
→ Floral and woody scent
Physical
→ Sitting & looking upward
Spatial
→ Enclosed intimate environment
Why Create an Adult Mobile?
During infancy, a baby mobile creates a simple sensory world through gentle movement, soft light, and repetitive sounds. As adults, we often lose this state of quiet attention due to constant stimulation and responsibilities.
Research Question:
How can a spatial environment recreate a sense of safety and presence for adults through multisensory interaction?
Observe
↓
Listen
↓
Feel safe
Consume information
↓
Constant stimulation
↓
Need for pause
Inspiration: Returning to the First Sensory Experience
The project began with a question: why do many people seek comfort from childhood memories?
Instead of recreating childhood literally, Adult Mobile translates childhood sensory experiences into an environment designed for adults.
01 Multisensory Design
02 Environmental Psychology
Human perception is shaped by the combination of multiple senses. Light, sound, scent, and texture can influence emotional responses and spatial experience.
03 Olfactory Memory
Physical environments influence attention, mood, and behavior through spatial qualities such as enclosure, lighting, and materiality.
04 Restorative Environment
Scent has a strong connection with personal memories and emotional associations.
Natural elements and quiet environments can encourage relaxation and reflection.
Baby Mobile
for Infants
What if adults also need a moment of being cared for?
for Reflection
Slow Movement
Gentle Rhythm
Sensory Stimulation
Light/ Sound/ Scent
Safe Space
Separation
Look Up
Different Perspective
Early sketches explored how the viewer’s body position could transform from standing observation to seated immersion.
Material as Emotional Interface
Tree Branch
Found in nature, each piece is unique and carries traces of time.
Gauze Fabric
Softens the light and creates a sense of intimacy.
Warm LED Light
2700K warm light, wrapped with fabric to reduce glare and create a gentle glow.
Scent (Floral + Woody)
A blend of floral and woody scents to evoke comfort and natural memories.
Sound (Leaves + Voice)
The sound of leaves and a soft voice asking “Do not look back.”
Creating an Intimate Environment
The spatial arrangement intentionally changes the viewer’s posture. Sitting underneath the mobile encourages upward observation, creating a temporary separation from everyday environments.
The installation remains quiet when empty. The participant’s physical presence activates the sound layer, making the viewer an essential part of the experience.
1.SIT DOWN
The participant sits on the cushion.
2. PRESSURE SENSOR
The sensor detects the weight and sends a signal.
3. ARDUINO
The Arduino receives the signal and triggers the system.
4. SOUND MODULE
The sound module plays a preloaded ambient sound.
5. SPEAKER
The sound is delivered.
The pressure sensor detects the weight when someone sits
through the speaker enveloping the space.
What Worked
✔ Multisensory elements created immersion
✔ Spatial enclosure encouraged staying
✔ Material choices supported emotional atmosphere
Future Improvement
→ Conduct larger user testing
→ Explore adjustable sensory intensity
→ Develop an adaptive interaction system
This project shifted my understanding of design from creating objects to designing relationships between people, space, and experience.