Coral Morph: An Artistic Shape-Changing Textile Installation for Mindful Emotion Regulation in the Wild

Mindful human–computer interaction has been increasingly used to induce emotion regulation. The Coral Morph is an artistic shape-changing textile installation designed for mindful emotion regulation in public spaces. The installation incorporates affective soft-robotic material movements, heart rate physicalization, and expressive interactive textile features conceived to enhance sensory engagement. In an exhibition, 55 participants were recruited to interact with Coral Morph, allowing the evaluation of its sensory engagement, somesthetic appreciation, and lifelikeness perception. Participants’ facial expressions during interaction were triangulated with their questionnaire responses, and short interviews were conducted enquiring on the somatic feedback after the interaction. The empirical findings confirmed that participants perceived the installation as emotionally intelligent, animate, likable, safe, and interesting. Participants regarded the experience as pleasant, calm, positive, and relaxed, appreciating the somesthetic aspects, thus highlighting the effectiveness of the design elements. Furthermore, we highlighted the significance of individual differences in shaping the interactive encounter. These findings inform well-being and human–computer interaction researchers on designing future responsive installations for mindfulness and identifying future research avenues, encompassing the nuanced exploration of interactive material behaviors and advancements in evaluation methodologies.