Seosa
A voice-driven time capsule that captures and replays emotional memories — like a whisper of memory, awakening a shimmer of feeling the moment it brushes your ear.
- Organization
- KAIST ID301
- Role
- Product Design & Engineering
- Period
- 2025
- Focus
- Product Design
“Like a whisper of memory, it awakens a shimmer of feeling the moment it brushes your ear.”
기억을 속삭이는 듯, 귀에 닿는 순간 살아나는 감각의 잔광
Overview
Capturing memories through voice in an intuitive and emotional way
Seosa is a time capsule that remembers your emotions. The moment you speak, AI gently analyzes the tone of your voice, capturing the emotions of that day just as they are.
When you want to revisit those memories, simply turn the device. As it rotates, your emotional moments are replayed in sequential order — offering an immersive journey back in time.
Memories don't fade. With Seosa, your emotions live on, ready to be felt again.
Demo
Positioning
Where Seosa sits in the landscape of memory-keeping devices
Concept
Early sketch exploring the cup metaphor and interaction model
Design Goals
Emotion-centered interface
Speak into and listen from the cup like a human interaction — the device becomes a conversation partner for your inner voice.
Tangible memory
Holding a cup feels like holding a memory — the physical weight and warmth create an intimate connection with the past.
Physical interaction
Rotating the body to switch modes, like an analog ritual — a deliberate, mindful gesture that grounds the experience.
Shared experience
Hand the device to others and they can feel your memory — emotions become something you can physically pass along.
Novelty
What Makes It Original?
Gesture Interface
Speak directly into the cup — a natural gesture that transforms everyday motion into meaningful interaction.
Cup Metaphor
The cup-shaped form creates an intuitive mental model — pour your voice in, carry your memories out.
Memory Time Navigation
Rotate the body to scrub through time — continuous rotation plays voice fragments to unfold one connected story.
“Continuous Rotation Plays Voice Fragments To Unfold One Connected Story — A Metaphor For Storytelling”
Project Process
From concept to working prototype
Product Planning
Mapped sensory inputs to interaction intents. Explored the cup metaphor through initial sketches and interaction models.
Hardware Development
Selected and integrated ESP32, gyroscope, I2S microphone, speaker module, OLED display, and rotary encoder.
Firmware Development
Built the full software stack in Arduino C++ — audio recording, playback, OpenAI integration, display control, and gyroscope input.
Housing Design
3D modeled and printed the cup-shaped enclosure, designed to hold all components while maintaining the tactile cup experience.
Integration & Testing
Assembled hardware into housing, connected all modules, tested end-to-end interactions from recording to emotional playback.
Advanced Prototype
Hardware Composition
ESP32-WROOM-32
Lolin D32 • Xtensa LX6 240MHz • 4MB Flash
SSD1306
128x64 OLED Display
MPU-6050
6-axis IMU Gyroscope
MicroSD
FAT32 Audio Storage
MAX98357A
3W Class-D Amplifier
INMP441
MEMS Microphone
KY-040
Rotary Encoder + Switch
AI Integration
Sentimental Analysis Pipeline
.wav on SD
STT
transcript
Transcribed
GPT-3.5
analysis
Categorized
Detected emotions
Each emotion is saved with an intensity level (0–1) alongside the audio recording
"text": "I climbed the mountain today and saw the..."
"sentiment": "joy"
"intensity": 0.85
}
ESP32 connects directly to ChatGPT via WiFi, enabling a fully standalone device
Seosa is a time capsule that remembers your emotions. The moment you speak, AI gently analyzes the tone of your voice, capturing the emotions of that day just as they are.
When you want to revisit those memories, simply turn the device. As it rotates, your emotional moments are replayed in sequential order—offering an immersive journey back in time.
Memories don't fade. With Seosa, your emotions live on, ready to be felt again.
KAIST 2025 Spring — ID301 Interactive Product Design