Duo

Madalyn Bates, Lexi Ross, Anthony Sullivan

Simple. Direct. Tactile.
Duo is a paired device that brings the intimacy of touch to long-distance communication.

The concept was created through
ES21: The Innovator's Practice
Harvard College, Fall 2011

Transcript

2. Madalyn Bates Harvard College 2014 Concentration: Psychology Lexi Ross Harvard College 2015 Concentration: Computer Science Anthony Sullivan Harvard Graduate School of Design Concentration: Architecture
3. As technology has become more and more omnipresent, so has communication.
7. Yet as the volume of emails, texts, Facebook messages, and tweets keeps growing, how do we choose to truly connect?
9. We’ve created , a paired device that brings the intimacy of touch to long-distance communication.
10. Duo resembles a small, smooth stone
11. …convenient to carry in a pocket, wear on a necklace, or set on a desk.
12. Duos come in pairs, each reacting to the input of the other.    
15. When one stone is touched or held in the hands, its counterpart will grow warm to the touch and emit a light glow. If this device’s owner notices the light or heat emanating from their Duo, they can squeeze theirs in turn, and the original device will glow and grow warm as well.
16. Working wirelessly, Duo enables you to be across the city or across the world from a family member, close friend, partner, or loved one, and to still have a meaningful, in-the-moment connection.
17. The duo uses soft sensing technology developed at the Wyss Insitute here at Harvard. It uses a silicon rubber embedded with conductive liquid metal microchannels which measure the intensity and duration of pressure induced by squeezing the device through variations in electrical resistance.
20. We are also using technology found in electric hand warmers for warmth and electroluminescent materials for light.
22. Messages  are  translated  and  sent  via  sms  to  the  companion   device,  which  responds  by  ligh8ng  up  and  warming  to  the   touch.  The  devices  can  communicate  regardless  of  proximity.  
23. There are few other products out there that seek to fulfill the same need as Duo using as simple and elegant of a solution.
24. Simple.   Duo is incredibly simple. There is no screen, no wire, no instruction manual, and no extraneous feature to distract from the main purpose of Duo: to facilitate direct, meaningful, tactile communication between two people.
25. Take a similar product: the new Path app for the iPhone, which bills itself as a new social network for close friends to share every aspects of their lives. While Path has a similar mission to the DUO, its overabundance of features and reliance on screen-based smartphone technology simply contributes to the noise of text-based technology, increasing the amount of time users spend in front of a screen.
26. Direct.   Duo possesses the unique feature of transience: a Duo will only emit light and heat as long as its companion is being squeezed. After the connection is severed, there is no indication of a “missed” connection. This means that every time you see your DUO light up, you know that your partner is thinking of you at that very moment.
27. Tactile.   Duo is distinct in that it operates via the most basic, direct channel possible: touch. Duo does away with the confusion and limitations inherent in text-based communication, where emotion and meaning is often clouded in large blocks of information. It allows users to escape the stress of having to compose yet another response; it allows them to turn away from the screen and experience the warm, distinctly human feel of holding another’s hand.  
29. There  are  countless  moments  in  everyday  life   during  which  Duo  can  brighten  your  day.  
34. Unlike other products and concepts that attempt to connect beyond text…
37. Duo’s simplicity means it is not constrained to a certain scenario. Duo can be used by anyone, anywhere and everywhere, without great fanfare.
38. Duo  can  be  sold  online  and  through  both     retail  partners  and  wireless  providers.    Duo  can  be  either  sold  with  a  messaging     plan  or  can  be  added  as  a  line  to  an  exis8ng     mobile  plan,  allowing  the  device  to  be  subsidized.  
40. Moving forward, we are teaming up with engineers to explore the technology that will make Duo a tangible product. We are also looking to possibly add an electrical or materials engineer directly to our team.
41. Yong-Lae Park James MacArthur Electronic  Instrument   Design  Lab   Engineer Electrical,  Materials,   or  Communica7ons  
42. Created through ES21: The Innovator’s Practice Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Fall 2011
43. Beth Altringer, Phd Darcie Dieman and Wenyi Dai Jonathan Zittrain Patrick McKenna Anas Chalah, PhD Yong-Lae Park Harvard SEAS, Visiting Lecturer ES21 Professor ES21 Teaching Fellows Harvard Law School | Harvard Kennedy School Harvard SEAS, Berkman Center for Internet & Society Entrepreneur and Investor Harvard SEAS, Director of Teaching Labs Wyss Institute at Harvard The Duo team would like to thank…