SweatAtoms: Materializing physical activity

Visualization plays an important role in motivating users towards physical activity. In this paper, we present a novel approach to represent physical activity in the form of material artifacts. We have designed a system called SweatAtoms that builds material artifacts using the measured heartbeat data during the physical activity. By crafting such material artifacts, our aim is to harness physical activity as a medium for self-expression and make the experience of participating in physical activity more engaging beyond screen-based feedback. This paper describes the implementation and design of the SweatAtoms system. We hope our work can inspire fellow interaction designers and researchers to consider the role of materiality while designing interactive technology to support physical activity.