EMPHABRACE

Humans feel about 7000 emotions a day yet are able to categorize them into about 15–20 general feelings. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) don’t have that ability, so they actually feel 7000 emotions. They get overwhelmed by this extreme amount of feelings and they become stressed. This is often misunderstood by others and it leads the autistic individual to find ways to mask their emotions in social situations.

 

EMPHABRACE gives both the neurotypical person (educators, medical personals/researchers, family, friends, colleagues, etc.)
who has an interaction with autistic individuals a way to more easily understand and empathize with them, thereby reducing the necessity for the ASD individual to mask emotions.

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The product and system design work together. The app is designed to include collected biometric data in order to check daily fluctuations as well as providing a list of exercises that can help the user. The bracelet contains sensors that track the biometrics of the wearer and glows a gentle light to indicate the situation to themselves and those around them at any moment. This acts as an alert to the wearer and to others that the wearer is becoming stressed so that all can take actions to support each other and ask for assistance.