SOFT SIGNAL is an individual developed as part of the Creating Future Experience project.

The group project explored a future vision of population health shaped through collective intelligence, shared responsibility, and community participation. Rather than relying entirely on centralized NHS healthcare systems, this future imagines communities becoming active participants in care, supported by AI technologies. It represents a transitional moment from algorithm-led healthcare toward a more human-centred, yet AI-supported model of population health, where trust gradually re-emerges through shared experiences and local connections.

Within this broader future context, my individual project development focused on the emotional needs of ageing communities. *SOFT SIGNAL* explores how emotional well-being can be supported through an ambient and non-intrusive AI care system integrated into everyday life. By detecting subtle emotional signals through touch and micro-movements, the system generates gentle prompts and opportunities for social interaction, encouraging stronger human-to-human connections rather than replacing them.

In the prototype, a tea cup and saucer act as the primary interface for both emotional input and system feedback, transforming a familiar domestic ritual into a subtle communication tool. Through this approach, the project positions emotional care not as an individual responsibility but as a shared relationship between AI guidance, community awareness, and human support.