Pregnant women often get their bellies touched without their permission by people ranging from family members, to coworkers, to strangers. While usually well-intentioned, people who touch pregnant bellies are unaware that their actions may be unwanted and invasive. Previous works have shown that wearable computing can bring attention to social issues by provoking discourse. We implemented a maternity shirt that reacts to inappropriate touches upon contact in various ways, such as displaying messages, vibrating, and setting off an alarm. Through this interactive design piece we hoped to raise awareness and provoke conversation around themes of consent, inappropriate touching, and women's bodies.
UW Make4All Lab 2018. Tracy Tran, Ying Wang, Sabrina Pearson, Estelle Jiang, and advised by Dr. Jennifer Mankoff.