somatic
Garment
early experimentation – in progress
The Somatic Garment is an early-stage experimental, sculptural wearable designed to support awareness and regulation of internal state through felt, location-specific sensation on the body. By using gentle, responsive contraction at the diaphragm to guide attention toward belly breathing, the garment intervenes at the level of sensation and breath mechanics rather than visual data or instruction. Its primary function is to create a clear, embodied cue for the wearer, while its expressive form serves as a secondary layer—provoking curiosity, conversation, and shared reflection on how internal states can be sensed and regulated through the body.
Research Focus
01
This project investigates whether location-specific, mechanically applied sensation at the diaphragm can support awareness of autonomic state and enable voluntary self-regulation through breath.
Specifically, it examines whether subtle diaphragmatic contraction can increase awareness of chest versus belly breathing, interrupt stress-linked breathing patterns, and guide the wearer toward slower, deeper breathing as a means of regulating internal state.
The work evaluates two related outcomes:
Awareness: the wearer’s ability to notice their breathing pattern and internal state when the garment activates
Regulation: the wearer’s ability to voluntarily reduce physiological arousal by responding to the somatic cue with diaphragmatic breathing.
Physiological Rationale
02
Elevated heart rate is often accompanied by shallow, chest-dominant breathing and increased sympathetic nervous system activity.
Belly (diaphragmatic) breathing is associated with:
Activation of the vagus nerve
Increased parasympathetic response
Reduction in heart rate and physiological arousal
The garment is designed to redirect attention to the diaphragm at the moment regulation is most relevant.
Design Considerations
03
Most experimental fashion prioritizes visual impact for an external viewer. This project begins from a different premise: clothing’s power lies in its constant contact with the body. Garments can both sense physiological signals through the skin and deliver feedback as a directly felt experience.
The primary design priority is the somatic experience of the wearer. The felt contraction at the diaphragm is designed to be immediately perceptible, guiding attention toward breath and internal state without instruction or display.
Key considerations include:
Wearer-first experience
Sensation must be felt clearly before it is understood or observed.
Location specificity
Feedback is applied at the diaphragm to engage breath mechanics and distinguish belly from chest breathing.
Inner-state specificity
Feedback is meaningful only when tied to moments of physiological activation.
Subtlety
The contraction acts as a prompt, not a constraint, preserving agency and avoiding startle.
Expressive form as secondary
Visual change serves to provoke curiosity and conversation, not to drive the interaction.
Interaction Flow
04
Baseline
The garment remains neutral during resting or regulated states.Threshold Crossing
When heart rate exceeds a predefined threshold, the system activates.Somatic Cue
The garment contracts subtly at the diaphragm, creating inward pressure and tactile awareness in the belly region.User Response
The wearer responds by adjusting breath to focus on the belly region—slowing and deepening it.Release
As heart rate decreases, the garment gradually returns to its neutral form.
System Architecture
05
The system consists of four layers:
Sensing
Heart rate data captured via external wearable sensors.
Logic
Threshold-based activation logic determines when contraction is triggered and released.
Actuation
A micro servo pulls material to create controlled contraction at the diaphragm.
Form & Material
Textile structures translate servo motion into localized pressure and release on the body.
Prototyping: Form
06
Key explorations in early form prototying:
Experimentation of various dynamic garment constructions that respond to contraction at the diaphragm
Construction of box pleats to respond as intended when elastic is expanded and contracted
The initial prototype uses box pleats integrated with elastic, positioned around the diaphragm. When actuated, the elastic tightens subtly around the belly while the back layer of the pleats expands, changing the sculptural form of the garment. This behavior required iterative prototyping to tune material placement and the balance of stretch and non-stretch elements, ensuring the garment remains stable at rest and transforms only when tension is applied at the diaphragm.
box pleats & elastic relaxed (neutral state)
box pleats & elastic expanded (active state)
In parallel, I designed and fabricated the complementary garment component to house the electronics and provide stable mounting for the motor—a challenge when working with stretchy materials and ungrounded attachment points on the human body.
relaxed - neutral state
expanded – active state
Prototyping: Function
07
Key explorations in early functional prototying:
Servo motor expanding and contracting pleats for desired structural change
Elastic width and tension to balance servo torque
Actuation speed to encourage regulation and avoid stimulation
playing with impact of pace & timing of actuation on felt experience:
single expansion > pause > retraction
(original function for heart rate-informed response)
continuous expansion & retraction to follow or guide breath
(alternative functions: awareness of regular breathing or guidance of timed breathwork)
Current Status & Next Steps
08
This project is currently in an early-stage prototyping phase, focused on refining the quality, placement, and legibility of diaphragmatic contraction as a somatic cue. Initial prototypes establish the core interaction—responsive contraction guiding awareness toward belly breathing—while current iterations focus on improving sensory clarity at low actuation forces, shaping a calm and supportive interaction, and refining the form to balance expressive, sculptural qualities with intended material and mechanical response.
The next phases of this project focus on closing the loop between sensing, sensation, and regulation, while expanding the expressive and experiential range of the garment:
Integrate live physiological input
Incorporate real-time heart rate data to trigger diaphragmatic contraction dynamically, enabling a closed-loop interaction between internal state and somatic feedback.
Expand garment constructions and form factors
Prototype alternative textile and structural constructions that respond to diaphragmatic contraction, exploring how different materials, geometries, and silhouettes shape the felt experience and expressive qualities of the same regulatory function.
Evaluate awareness and regulation
Conduct structured tests to assess whether the somatic cue increases awareness of breathing patterns and supports voluntary regulation, measuring changes in breath depth, breathing rate, and heart rate recovery.
Explore personalized mappings through generative AI
Experiment with generative AI to develop adaptive, subjective mappings between physiological signals and garment behavior—allowing thresholds and responses to evolve based on individual patterns, context, and multi-point sensor data embedded in clothing.