Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research, there is growing interest in designing superpowers, abilities that extend beyond natu- ral human limits and are experienced as originating from one’s own body. While superpower designs hold the promise of enhancing human capabilities, they may also introduce negative side effects as superpower interactions transition from short demonstrations to integration into everyday life. To explore the positive and neg- ative side effects of superpower design, we developed “EmoPals,” a system inspired by telepathy superpower. EmoPals detects one user’s emotions through a brain-computer interface and replicates them on the other user’s face through electrical muscle stimulation, therefore one user’s happiness makes the other smile and vice versa. This system demonstrates both the potential to strengthen emo- tional connections and the risks of amplifying negative emotions or causing social discomfort. Ultimately, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of superpower design and its integration into everyday life.
exertiongameslab.org
In Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research, there is growing interest in designing superpowers, abilities that extend beyond natu- ral human limits and are experienced as originating from one’s own body. While superpower designs hold the promise of enhancing human capabilities, they may also introduce negative side effects as superpower interactions transition from short demonstrations to integration into everyday life. To explore the positive and neg- ative side effects of superpower design, we developed “EmoPals,” a system inspired by telepathy superpower. EmoPals detects one user’s emotions through a brain-computer interface and replicates them on the other user’s face through electrical muscle stimulation, therefore one user’s happiness makes the other smile and vice versa. This system demonstrates both the potential to strengthen emo- tional connections and the risks of amplifying negative emotions or causing social discomfort. Ultimately, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of superpower design and its integration into everyday life.
exertiongameslab.org
