Percepta

Inspiration

The inspiration for Percepta came from a personal experience. My niece was born in late January, and during her newborn photoshoot she barely made a sound. The photographer explained that she was playing a calming sound frequency in the background, which helped regulate the baby’s nervous system and keep her asleep. That moment made us curious about the broader relationship between sound and physiological regulation.

As we researched further, we learned about interoception, the body’s ability to sense internal signals such as heart rate, breathing, and stress responses. Many emotional states begin with subtle physiological changes long before we consciously notice them.

This led us to imagine a tool that could detect these signals and respond with targeted sound frequencies to support regulation. From that idea, Percepta was created as a system designed to make invisible physiological signals more understandable and actionable.

What it does

Percepta is a speculative wellness system that detects changes in a user’s nervous system state and responds with sound frequencies designed to help regulate it.

Wearable sensors measure physiological signals associated with stress, such as heart rate variability and breathing patterns. These signals are interpreted to determine the user’s current nervous system state, allowing the system to identify when stress is beginning to rise.

When a threshold is reached, Percepta suggests or automatically plays a calming frequency through headphones or smart speakers. The goal is to guide the nervous system back toward balance before stress escalates.

The system adapts to different contexts and stages of life. A professional might receive a smartwatch notification during a stressful meeting, while an older adult could rely on autonomous mode through home speakers. Caretaker mode allows parents to respond early to rising infant distress.

How we built it

We began by researching how sound frequencies can influence the nervous system and support physiological regulation. This helped us identify which signals would be important to track, including heart rate variability, breathing patterns, and indicators of stress.

Using these insights, we designed a system that detects physiological signals, interprets them into a simplified nervous system state, and responds with targeted sound interventions.

We used Figma Make to prototype the interface and interaction flow. This allowed us to quickly visualize how Percepta would work across different devices, including wearables, headphones, and smart home speakers. By prototyping the user experience, we were able to focus on how the system integrates seamlessly into everyday situations like work environments, home settings, and caretaker scenarios.

Challenges we ran into

One of the biggest challenges was balancing the scope of our idea with the limited time we had available. As fourth-year university students working during midterm season, we had to focus on communicating the concept clearly rather than building a fully functional system.

Another challenge was deciding how much physiological information to present to users. Too much data could overwhelm people, while too little might reduce trust in the system. We addressed this by designing a simplified interface that translates complex signals into clear states and actionable suggestions.

We also had to balance scientific research with speculative design, ensuring our concept remained grounded in existing knowledge while still imagining future possibilities.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that Percepta was designed to support wellbeing across multiple stages of life. Rather than focusing on a single type of user, we created scenarios for young professionals managing workplace stress, older adults living independently, and parents caring for infants.

Designing manual mode, autonomous mode, and caretaker mode allowed us to demonstrate how one system could adapt to different environments and user needs.

We are also proud that the concept focuses on making invisible physiological signals understandable. Instead of simply tracking external behaviors like steps or sleep, Percepta helps users become aware of their internal state and respond before stress escalates.

What we learned

Through this project we learned how closely physiological signals are connected to emotional wellbeing. Many feelings of stress or anxiety begin with subtle changes in the nervous system that often go unnoticed.

We also learned how important it is to design technology that simplifies complex data. Instead of overwhelming users with raw biometric information, effective tools translate signals into clear insights and actionable steps.

Finally, this project reinforced the value of speculative design. Even if certain sensing technologies are still developing, exploring these ideas can help us imagine how future tools might support healthier relationships with our internal physiological signals.

What's next for Percepta

If we continued developing Percepta, the next step would be exploring more advanced sensing technologies that could improve real-time detection of nervous system states. Emerging wearable sensors and machine learning models could help personalize how the system interprets physiological signals.

Future versions could also adapt sound interventions based on each user’s responses over time, allowing the system to become more personalized and effective.

Beyond individual use, Percepta could expand into broader wellness environments such as workplaces, elder care settings, or parenting tools.

Our long-term vision is to create technology that helps people better understand their internal signals and develop healthier ways to regulate stress and wellbeing in everyday life.

Built With

• figma