MeSenseU - NonVerbal Communication Interface

The message of the project

MeSenseU aims to bridge the large gap that exists between people with communication impairments and society by presenting a really revolutionary gadget that assists caretakers in better accompanying and educating themselves in order for users to convey their well-being. The project's goal is to change society's perspective on psychiatric diseases.

The idea behind the project 

Merve and Luca began working on MeSenseU approximately a year ago. A moment of empathy served as the beginning point. Merve was diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder two years ago.

It is an invisible condition, similar to autism and others. The attitude of outsiders, educators, and others toward neurodiverse people as children is at the heart of the isolation that many neurodiverse people experience. As an example of autism, everyone expects children to act "normal." However, they are unaware that they are labelling children as abnormal. The fundamental issue is that, because these conditions are not visible from the outside, the neurodiverse group is pushed out of society owing to communication limitations caused by their psychiatric, neurologic, and physical disorders.

Their passion is to discover a means to make these communities visible to the rest of society. Finally, they might help them attain what they need to recover from the environment by making their needs visible: empathy, understanding, socialisation, and belonging to a community.

MeSenseU entered into a thorough study phase after the first idea phase. Meanwhile, they investigated what could be necessary for a nonverbal communication platform capable of providing body communication. They visited with specialists in respective professions, including scientists. They have demonstrated that MeSenseU is scientifically plausible. Then they set out to learn about the requirements of their specific community. They conducted interviews with specialists from other professions who were working on the same issue. Sonar waves produced their artistic notions. Dolphins and other creatures use sonar waves to communicate underwater. Because it is underwater, it is a nonverbal communication route. They intend to design MeSenseU totally and particularly for neurodiverse people, so that they feel at ease using it. They are currently planning a design workshop with the community in this context.

Merve and Luca are both Turkish and Italian designers working in the field of innovation. Both partners contribute to different aspects of the project and draw on their past knowledge.

Merve is in charge of developing textile technology, electronic systems, corporate strategy, and product market validation. She combines her smart wearable product experience and field network to bring the product to life. Luca is in charge of designing strategies that are both disruptive and sustainable. His responsibility is to ensure that the development of their project is consistent in terms of design and creativity, with the goal of generating demonstrable effect. As partners, they enjoy long discussions about design concepts while Merve practices her Italian with Luca.

What next?

They intend to create a communication tool that can be used in as many situations as feasible. With a simple human-centred design, the device is capable of breaking down the barrier between the neurodiverse population and caregivers/therapists, allowing them to learn from one another. MeSenseU may achieve a variety of outcomes through tracking, trending, and interface alteration. Not just autism, but up to 21 conditions may be addressed by their technology through their collaborators at Indiana University's Intelligent Systems Department (US): PTSD, autism, anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, deaf-muteness, brain tumours, strokes, and so on.