About this app
Heart Bond is a radically new and experimental app. We know it needs development but you can help us by trying it out and giving us constructive feedback. You will be a part of making a more connected and happier world - thank you!
Heart Bond shows you how your heart (heart rate variability) synchronises with another person when you feel love or appreciation for them. It will also show you how your loving intention affects the other person's heart rate - you will discover that love really can make another person's heart beat faster!
The app, running on two phones, measures your heart rate from the pulse in your finger using the main camera. Data is then transferred between the phones using Wifi Direct (no internet connection required), and then compares the heart rate variability to produce a bonding score and display. Heart rate data is only shared between you and your invited session partner so it is completely private - there is no registration or login, and we do not transfer your heart rate data to an external server.
Heart Bond is a new and innovative app...
We are breaking new ground in app development and our early versions are necessarily
prototypes. We would ask users to bear this in mind and to help us develop what we believe is an exciting new genre of apps.
As well as allowing users to experience heart-to-heart connection for themselves, and to use this information to build stronger and happier relationships, we have designed the app so it can be used as a citizen science research tool. We hope that the app will open up new areas of research into heart-to-heart communication and improve our understanding of psychology and relationships. If you are interested, please let us now how you are getting on with the app by emailing us through our website or joining our website forum.
Features:
- Measures and analyses heart rate variability for two users and compares the signals for sychronisation in real time. Includes accurate heart rate monitor
- Provides an estimate of bonding levels in a relationship in real time and at end of a session.
- Allows personalisation of sessions with user names and photos.
- Has the option for text coaching tips during the session.
- Displays degree of bonding as a changing ripple animation, phone vibration intensity and as a graph in real time.
- Displays a summary of the session data and bonding levels at end of a session as well as a graphical representation of the power of loving intention.
- Includes an individual continuous heart rate monitor for quality control of pulse measurements, heart-rate-variability studies and for ongoing research.
- Has detailed user guide, bonding tips and notes about the science and research behind Heart Bond as well as links to the Heart Bond website.
The Science: For several years it has been known that certain aspects of the physiology of two people who are in closely bonded relationship will tend to synchronise (Helm et al., 2012). Our research focuses on heart-rate-variability (HRV) - the way our heart rates rise and fall with time due to emotional factors. The academic as well as our own research has confirmed that HRV synchronisation often occurs when two people are in a loving or appreciative, bonded relationship.
We have extended the academic research and found evidence that one person can affect another's heart rate simply through their loving intention. We have also conducted non-local experiments and observed convincing HRV correlations at a distance of separation that preclude sensory feedback. The app makes it possible for users to conduct their own experiments in these fascinating areas of research.
Reference: Helm, J.L.; Ferrer, E.; Sbarra,D. Assessing Cross-Partner Associations in Physiological Responses via Couples Oscillator Models. Emotion, 12, 748-762.
App Permissions
Required to be able to access the camera device.
Allows using PowerManager WakeLocks to keep processor from sleeping or screen from dimming.
Allows applications to open network sockets.
Allows applications to access information about Wi-Fi networks.
Allows applications to change Wi-Fi connectivity state.
Allows an application to write to external storage.
Allows an application to read from external storage.
Allows access to the vibrator.
Allows an app to access approximate location.
