Researchers at the University of Adelaide have created a wearable glove that turns data into a sensory experience using heat, touch, and physical objects. The Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments (IVE) at the University of Adelaide led a remote internship that developed the prototype, called ThermoPhy.
Intern Josh Joy, working remotely with his supervisors, created a glove that merges wearable technology with data visualization, enabling users to interpret information through touch and temperature rather than just sight. Researchers showcased the glove at the International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction (TEI 2026) in Chicago. IVE lecturer Dr. Adam Drogemuller said the device provides a fundamentally new way to interact with data, noting that while most data is displayed as charts, graphs, and numbers, the team explored whether it could instead be experienced in a more embodied and sensory form, such as warmth.
Dual Layers of Information
The glove includes two complementary interfaces. On the outside, users can attach small 3D-printed tokens that form physical versions of familiar data visualizations like bar charts, line graphs, and heat maps. On the inside, miniature heating elements around the fingers produce precisely controlled thermal feedback.
The outcome is a wearable display that can share information publicly through visible physical structures while also transmitting private data via heat sensations that only the wearer can perceive.
Drogemuller noted that temperature is distinctive because it produces an intensely personal experience. Unlike screen-based information, thermal feedback is felt only by the person wearing the device, which makes it especially suitable for conveying sensitive or emotionally charged information.
Heat For Expressing Personal States
The researchers suggest that heat may be especially effective for conveying human-centered information such as mood, stress levels, overall well-being, or personal experiences.
For instance, a user could represent their nightly sleep duration through physical bar-like indicators on the glove, while the accompanying heat feedback reflects their emotional state upon waking. In another scenario, the device could visualize how crowded a space feels, with higher temperatures signaling greater discomfort.
They also believe the technology could help foster empathy and a stronger sense of shared understanding between people.
In a proposed example, a university student uses the glove to visualize their academic performance across multiple semesters. Others can observe the displayed data externally, but by wearing the glove themselves, they can also feel the corresponding levels of stress, leading to a deeper and more personal understanding of the student’s experience.
Turning Data Into Something That Feels Human
University of Adelaide researcher Xiaojiao “Lily” Du explained that the study is aligned with the expanding idea of “data humanism,” which aims to make data more relatable and emotionally engaging.
She noted that data often feels abstract and removed from lived experience, and the team is exploring ways to reconnect people with data through physical interaction, reflection, and storytelling.
The researchers also designed ThermoPhy with affordability and accessibility in mind, with electronic components costing about AUD $28, making the prototype relatively low-cost and easy to replicate for further research and development.
Although the project is still in its early development, it introduces new possibilities for wearable data physicalization and multisensory interaction. Future research will explore how users interpret different temperature levels, how thermal feedback shapes data understanding, and how it might integrate with emerging technologies such as augmented reality.
Drogemuller suggested that, in the future, wearable systems like ThermoPhy could enable people to understand their health, emotions, and personal experiences not just by viewing data, but by physically sensing it.
Read the original article on: Tech Xplore
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