Resident Thrum: Designing for Group Cardiac Synchronization through Multimodal Biofeedback

Resident Thrum is an interactive installation that explores cardiac synchronization in groups of two to six participants. Wearing heart rate monitors, players participate in a three-minute ritual on a hexagonal plywood and acrylic grid of seven haptic-generating tiles. The system provides real-time multi-modal feedback (haptic, sonic, and light) generated by participants’ cardiac rhythms. As synchronization improves, the soundscape becomes more harmonically resonant and light shifts to warmer hues. The work draws on research linking heart rate synchrony with prosocial behavior, creative cognition, and emotional regulation. As both an artistic output and a research site, the public exhibition collects participant observations and biometric data to inform conceptual and technical refinement, with the aim of developing guidelines for group interoceptive interactions in immersive contexts.