Working with sourdough is more than a craft process: it can be understood as an aesthetic practice in which perception and acts of making are directly intertwined. From tending the starter and stretching and folding the dough to shaping it, there is a continuous exchange between the hands and the material. We smell the acidity of the sourdough starter; our hands sense the tension of the dough and respond to it. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have come to regard this practice as a meditative activity. After years of theoretical and practical engagement with the subject, we wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the neurological processes at work. Using our wearable prototype, we process biometric data with algorithms designed to detect states of stress, flow, and emotional regulation. Rather than communicating through sound or images, the device communicates through tactile feedback, like a calm hand accompanying the body into the rhythm of the process.

As people work the dough, the sensors record the electrical activity of the muscles (EMG), heart rhythm (ECG), and patterns of neural activity (EEG). When, for example, a heightened state of stress is detected, the device responds with soothing vibration patterns as tactile cues. When a concentrated, meditative state of flow sets in, the device responds with supportive, synchronous feedback that helps sustain this calming rhythm. To this end, an entire catalogue of vibrotactile language patterns has been developed, including cues that can suggest directions and patterns of movement.

The felt or embodied knowledge involved in working with dough – the pressure, the timing, the moment when the gluten network forms – is difficult to convey through text or video. Cookbooks reach their limits here. Neuro-Cooking explores how this aesthetic practice can be conveyed through the body and with the help of an intuitive haptic language.

Working with dough has been shown to reduce stress markers and improve the ability to sustain attention over longer periods. The combination of working with dough and real-time haptic feedback could enhance this effect; our hypothesis is that it engages the body’s relaxation response more directly than purely mental mindfulness exercises. In collaboration with the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford, led by Charles Spence, we have conducted two studies whose results support this hypothesis.

Neuro-Cooking brings together neuroscience, design, and culinary tradition while also raising fundamental questions. Should we incorporate technology into such intimate, sensory practices? Do we expand human experience or diminish it? In doing so, we open up a discourse on the boundary between technological intervention and an independent connection to the craft. Its potential therapeutic applications extend beyond baking, ranging from supporting people with depression and anxiety to rehabilitating fine motor skills and learning movement sequences in other craft activities. As a conceptual project, Neuro-Cooking uses bread as a testing ground in which we explore real-time data interpretation and tactile communication.

In addition to conducting fundamental research and studies into multisensory perception, we had to delve deeply into the programming of the vibration patterns. We worked with specialised LRA motors (Linear Resonant Actuators, or precisely controllable vibration motors) to achieve the most nuanced feedback possible.

The wearable itself presented us with further challenges. A device that measures brain activity, muscle tension, and heart rhythm while someone is kneading dough poses its own particular demands. The aim was to reconcile technical precision with physical comfort.

Using 3D scans of the head, we took a different approach from most products currently available on the market. Instead of complex composite materials, we rely on mechanical solutions made from easily recyclable and, in some cases, biodegradable materials. Even for ECG and EMG, we were able to replace conventional single-use adhesive electrodes with mechanical and 3D-printed solutions. The EEG system, developed with the company mBrainTrain in Belgrade, uses dry and textile sensors mounted on spring-loaded holders and is designed for use during movement. We integrated the cable management directly into the printed components to reduce electrical interference. The cable routing follows the natural movements of the head. Special sensor solutions at the neck and on the arm also significantly reduce the preparation time required before the wearable is ready for use.

In terms of design, we have chosen not to conceal the technology but to visually emphasise all of its technical elements. We also 3D-print the wearable for the haptic feedback using a translucent, flexible material that makes the microcontrollers, LRAs, and wiring visible. For the electronics, we use readily accessible components such as ESP32 microcontrollers and open-source firmware. The components can be fully disassembled and repaired, without glued assemblies or permanent connections. If something breaks, it can be repaired.
Another aim is to make neuroscience and experimental research more accessible and to democratise access to them further. Using open hardware, repairable components, and documented protocols, experimentation with biosignals can move beyond the confines of laboratories and into kitchens, workshops, and classrooms.

Text by Maciej Chmara and Anna Rosinke
Maciej Chmara and Anna Rosinke are the design studio Chmara.Rosinke.