Wearable prototype for a social connectivity study.

Project Length: 3 weeks
Focus Areas: Arduino, Bluetooth Protocols, 3D Printing, Soft Goods
Materials: VeroClear Plastic, Leather, Assorted Electronics

The concept for Venn was born out of a desire to create a wearable product that would bring people with similar interests together, while remaining near-invisible to the user. There have been a myriad of social networks springing up in the last two decades, many with a similar end-goal of connectivity. Venn is the first of kind, however, and attempts to bring the user offline and back into the real world, while still enhancing their social experience.

Functionality-wise, Venn is simple.  First, the user creates a basic profile of their background and interests using a phone app.  The phone then scans the area around the user for other users with similar profiles.  If two users' mutual interests overlap by a given amount, the categorical match information and values associated with each are sent wirelessly to Venn, which then displays the match information with icons and small strings of text.  Colored LEDs also illuminate on each device so matched users may locate each other.

While the overall concept behind Venn is straightforward, technically it was a challenge. Wireless communication protocols and matching in a location with multiple active devices was especially tricky, requiring significant tweaking and debugging for reliable performance.