If you are of a certain age, you may remember “mood rings.” These devices had heat-sensitive liquid crystal layers that would change color, with the idea being that your skin temperature would reflect your mood. A group named Team Turquoise has taken a more proactive view of mood jewelry, and developed the Doppel to actually modify your mood.
You wear the device on the inside of your wrist. It produces a pattern of vibrations, calibrated to your heartbeat. A slower beat is meant to be calming and relaxing. A faster beat is designed to help you focus and be more alert. You set the rates using a companion smartphone application, but then use the controls on the device to choose the speed and intensity of the vibrations. The battery is designed to last about 5 hours of continuous use at maximum intensity.
The company has been working on the project for about a year, and is using a Kickstarter campaign to fund further development. Initial shipments to consumers are expected in April 2016. It would appear to be a safe and convenient device, and something that may be more appealing to consumers than some other mood-altering devices such as one that you strap to your head so it can send electrical currents through your brain.
