Frolic Forest is an interactive project that explores how physical actions can be translated into digital emotional feedback. I designed a soft stress ball embedded with pressure sensors that measures how hard a user squeezes it. The pressure data is sent in real time to a website, where a 3D cartoon character reacts differently depending on the intensity of the squeeze.

As the pressure changes, the character’s behavior changes as well—becoming more energetic, anxious, calm, or relaxed. The website also plays different ambient sounds that respond to the user’s input, creating a combination of visual and audio feedback. A gentle squeeze might trigger soft forest sounds, while a stronger squeeze produces a more intense reaction from both the character and the soundscape.

The goal of this project was to make stress management feel less clinical and more playful. Instead of simply tracking stress levels, Frolic Forest encourages users to engage with their emotions through touch, movement, sound, and animation. By turning a simple squeeze into an expressive interaction, the project creates a small moment of awareness and emotional release.