Calmables: Demonstrating Closed-Loop Infrared Earables for Thermal Biofeedback and Relaxation Support

Abstract

We present Calmables, a walk-up demo of a closed-loop infrared earable that uses smart-ring heart rate to create subtle, ear-localized warming cues. Building on work on thermal comfort and in-ear infrared stimulation, Calmables explores warmth at the ear as a biosignal-adaptive cue for brief recovery moments following acute activation. A smartphone first establishes an individual resting baseline and derives a personalized heart-rate threshold, while the earable controller independently enforces an over-temperature cut-off and communication fail-safes. During the guided demo flow, attendees complete a brief rapid-breathing activation phase until their heart rate reaches the personalized threshold. This triggers an ear-localized warming cue followed by a short relaxation phase, while physiological changes are displayed on a live dashboard. Attendees can also manually explore different infrared stimulation intensities. To contextualize the demo, we report preliminary placebo-controlled UX ratings from 18 participants: participants rated the active prototype higher on perceived relaxation and perceived recovery support than an identical-looking placebo. Together, the demo illustrates how infrared earables can make physiological feedback tangible through subtle, biosignal-adaptive thermal cues.