Introduction: Heartbeat Controlled Personal Massager

By Digital Naturalism
About: I want computers to be wilder. Running a Jungle makerspace in Panama. https://www.instagram.com/digital.naturalism.labs https://twitter.com/HikingHack https://www.youtube.com/user/blorgggggg https://github.com…

Introduction

This project is brought to you by Comingle.io, the Open-Source Sex Toy
company. We are launching a brand new crowdfunding campaign at http://igg.me/at/mod to fund the mass production of a new fully hackable dildo. It lets you connect any kind of sensor or controller for fun new experiences. Check it out to learn all about this exciting new sex toy platform!

Investigating Heartbeat Sensor with the MOD Device

Since the MOD is a personal massager platform, you can hook up any kind of sensor you wish that would normally work with an Arduino.

We have devised a way to use heartbeat sensing with the MOD device! Sounds exciting right? Well, it absolutely is and Comingle wants to share this information with you! Below you will find our step-by-step tutorial on how you can experience this phenomenon for yourself... or even share the experience with a partner!

Using Heartbeat Sensor With the MOD!

How Does it Work?

Before we get started on explaining the set up for heartbeat sensing with your MOD, it may be useful to know a bit more about how this works. Essentially, an individual straps a heartbeat sensor to their chest, which will allow for the sensor to send a signal to the breadboard (which we will also learn to fabricate in this tutorial). The breadboard works specifically in partnership with the heartbeat sensor, allowing for the heartbeat to be detected and transmitted through the USB's breakout board, which will then send the heartbeat's pulse to the MOD device. This process is the technical essence of which the MOD operates in conjunction with heartbeat sensing.


Step 1: Setup: Mounting T34 Polar Receiver

To begin, you will take your Polar T34 receiver (green chip) and mount it to your breadboard (red rectangle) as shown below. Make sure that you have made a connection before proceeding.

Step 2: Setup: Mounting Breakout Board

Next, you will then take your breakout board (connected to red USB) and mount it to the breadboard as shown below. Make sure that the Polar receiver GRD is directly across from your breakout board’s GRD.

Step 3: Setup: Connecting Wires Horizontally

After mounting your Polar receiver and your breakout board, you will use your three wires to make connections horizontally.

  • Take first wire and connect breakout board GRD to Polar receiver GRD.
  • Take second wire and connect D+ of breakout board to the unit opposite the GRD end on the Polar receiver side of breadboard.
  • Take last wire and connect the VCC of breakout board to the middle unit on Polar receiver.
  • Take LED pin and place the longer side (neg) on GRD unit on breakout board side.
  • Take short side (pos) of LED and add to D+ unit on breakout board side.

Make sure to double check that you have followed the steps above correctly and all connections have been made before proceeding to the next step.

Step 4: Setup: Connecting Breakout Board USB

After setting up your breadboard, you will then need to connect your breakout board’s USB. Take the USB connected to the breakout board and connect the opposite end of the cord into the top port of the MOD. Make sure you have securely connected your USB. After making this connection, you will then be ready to program heartbeat detection to your MOD!

Step 5: Programming MOD

In order for your MOD device to detect heartbeat, you will need to program it with the sketch titled, "Heartbeat" (shown below). The black micro USB cord allows for you to program your massager.

  • Power on your MOD, with its micro USB connected to your computer. A red light at the bottom of the dildo will turn on, signaling that it is charging and connected.
  • In the Heartbeat below, click on "Run on Arduino."
  • MOD should respond accordingly. LED pin should light up in unison with the heartbeat being detected.
  • If no heartbeat is detected, see the directions below in next heading to troubleshoot.

Heartbeat Sketch

Step 6: Troubleshooting

If you are having issues detecting heartbeat with your MOD, there are a few things that might be causing this error.

  1. SPIT ON IT. First, make sure you have good electrical contact. These sensors are made to be worn while sweaty, but if you're not, you can just lick the back of the chest strap before you put it on. This is especially true if you have chest hair like Andy (pictured).
  2. Then begin by making sure that your Polar T34 receiver is close enough to the Polar T34 sensor to attain signal. If detection is still not acquired, proceed to the next step.
  3. Look at the USB cords/ports and make sure that they are properly connected. While maneuvering your device, you may have accidentally disconnected your USB cords. Double check to see that they are properly fastened. If heartbeat detection is still not achieved, proceed to the step below.
  4. Double check that you have properly setup your breadboard, breakout board, and Polar T34 receiver with the corresponding wires. Making sure that the correct connections were made to each piece as specified earlier in the "Setup" heading. Be sure to also check that a connection has actually been made with the wires, pressing down on the materials that we attached to the breadboard earlier. If heartbeat detection is still not achieved, proceed to the next step.
  5. By this point, if you are still unable to detect heartbeat with your MOD device, double check that the Polar T34 Sensor is being worn properly. The transmitter should be worn flat against the chest, with the Polar logo in the upright position.

Step 7: Experiment & Play!

Once you have successfully setup your device, try changing breathing patterns to accelerate heart rate. You should notice that the MOD will react to heartbeat differences upon detection!

To make things more interesting, you may grab a partner to wear the sensor while you use the MOD or vice versa. This allows for the individual wearing the sensor to have a seemingly intimate connection with the individual actually using the MOD device, without even having physical contact! Pretty cool, huh?

Here at Comingle, we encourage play and are always looking to find more ways to engage our audience. To help motivate these ventures, we have created some standard sketches that will allow for you to experiment with your device in more ways than one. Simply follow the steps provided above within this tutorial, and click the “Run on Arduino” button to reprogram your dildo to the sketches below. Enjoy!

Loop Sketch


Randomized Sketch