Concept
For my final project, I will create an Emotion Communicator Keyboard; a simple interactive system designed mainly for babies and people with speech difficulties. The device will include several large, colorful buttons, each representing a basic emotion or need (such as happy, sad, hungry, sleepy, or scared). When a user presses a button, the system will communicate that emotion through both physical sound (from Arduino) and visual + digital sound feedback (from P5). This is a preliminary concept and it is still subject to change as I continue developing and testing the project.
Purpose & Audience
Babies and people who have speech difficulties often struggle to communicate how they feel. This device gives them a clear, physical way to express emotions using big, easy-to-press buttons. I got the idea after seeing videos on social media of mothers with children who have speech difficulties. Many of them talked about how challenging it can be to understand what their kids want or how they feel. I noticed that some families use simple communication apps that display basic words or emotions, and even though the tools look very simple, they make a huge difference. I would notice that when the children learned how to express their feelings better through this tool, you could literally see their entire face change. Their eyes would brighten, their expression would relax, and they looked relieved and proud that someone understood them. It made me realize how powerful and meaningful even a very simple communication tool can be. It’s not just about sending a message; it’s about giving the child a way to feel seen, heard, and understood.
The current version is intentionally simple for accessibility, but for adults it would be too basic. In the future, I could expand this into a more advanced assistive communication tool with more emotions, more complex sensors, or personalized options.
Arduino Components
- 10-12 large push buttons (each representing one emotion)
- LEDs
- Piezo buzzer (to play emotion-specific tones)
- 10kΩ resistors (pull-downs for button circuits)
- USB connection (for serial communication with P5)
- I can build the keyboard with cardboard and cutting holes for the buttons and designing it to look like a keyboard.
Arduino will:
- sense which button is pressed
- send messages like “happy” or “sad” to P5
- play an immediate tone or sound pattern on the buzzer depending on the emotion
P5 receives the emotion label from Arduino and triggers:
- an animated visual (color changes, shapes, movement)
- a matching digital sound or short audio clip
- Maybe text labels for clarity
Interaction Flow
- User presses a button
- Arduino detects it instantly
- Arduino plays a corresponding tone on the buzzer
- Arduino sends the emotion name to P5
- P5 displays a visual animation + plays a sound + maybe led lights up
Ideas I can add:
1. Users can press two or more buttons in sequence to express combined emotions (e.g., Happy + Hungry → “I’m happy and hungry.”)
2. As positive reinforcement is something that plays a big role in this, an extra large button can trigger a celebratory animation and sound when the user successfully expresses an emotion or sequence. to motivate them to continue using this tool as a way to express their feelings better.
Future Expansion
Later, this system could be expanded with:
- more advanced sensors
- a larger emotion vocabulary
- more meaningful sound design for adults
- different modes of communication (LEDs, vibration feedback)