Submissions | VizChitra 2026
Embodied Realities: Experiencing Air Quality Beyond Numbers
Vidushi
•The Soma Project
Description
Many cities in India are grappling with deteriorating air quality and the adverse effects of climate change, posing challenges to the long-term health of citizens. Air Quality Index (AQI) has become a regular topic of discussion. However, there is a sensory gap between seeing a number and understanding its toll on health. As the effects of poor air quality on the respiratory system are often invisible, it remains a challenge to perceive the urgency of the crisis. To address this, we propose an immersive, embodied experience that translates numbers into a visceral physical experience. The proposed exhibition allows participants to experience what the strain on the lungs may feel like at various AQI levels in different cities in India. The participants engage in this envisioned somesthetic experience by wearing a half jacket made of sturdy strings that represent microscopic pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3 [CPCB] entering the lungs. Within the exhibition, participants move to ‘cities’ with varying AQIs. The sensors attached to the jacket introduce a gradual constriction based on AQI data, simulating the increased effort required to breathe. Using publicly available AQI data, this experience makes numbers a tangible reality—making the ‘unseen’ realities behind AQI ‘felt’. We also use audio snippets from citizens and experts, highlighting lived experiences, resilience, and adaptation to climate change. The aspiration for the proposed exhibition is to grow into an embodied experience that brings attention to policymakers and individuals to take immediate action to control air pollution.
Data Source
In this exhibition, we use publicly available open-source AQI data to drive the physical experience. Rather than visualizing this data directly, it is converted into varying degrees of pressure experienced through the wearable jacket. By doing so, we transform data into a ‘felt’ physical discomfort. To add depth to the experience, we also intend to integrate a layer of qualitative data. The experience will feature snippets of first-hand accounts from citizens (from media pieces) describing symptoms and challenges, and expert interviews. The qualitative data will be used in the form of sound, as narrations in the background through a headphone during the experience.
Technical Requirements
The proposed exhibition is designed focusing on using fewer resources and keeping costs low while still delivering a high-quality experience for participants.
Space: Floor space required will be approximately 120 sq ft. Good to have a wall in the allotted space to use for the live data collection and visualisation using post-its. If a wall is not available, a sunboard can be utilized instead.
- 2 Tables
- Stationery supplies
Technical requirements:
- Power source
- Wireless internet
- 15 - IR LED (940 nm)
- Two Arduino Uno board
- Fifteen Arduino Nano Boards
- Four Servos
- Sixteen LIPO batteries 5 volts
- Two IR Receiver TSOP series
- 100 ohms resistors
- Two N222 NPN transistors
- Soldering wires
The cost of the sensors and microcontrollers can be covered by us.
Project Status & Timeline
This is a new proposal, and the work is ready to begin. Our team has a solid background working in embodied interaction projects and designing exhibitions. The team’s diverse experience in design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and expertise with technology will help us hit the ground running and build the experience within a timeline of 3 weeks upon selection for the first prototype to go live.
Previous Work
View PortfolioTeam
The Soma Project
The Soma Project is a collective of enthusiastic makers and designers exploring how data and environmental realities are felt through the body. Working with soma-based design and technology, they create embodied experiences that reveal what data often leaves out such as effort, discomfort, vulnerability, and care.
Vidushi Chahal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidushichahal/ Vidushi bridges public health, environment, and technology through interactive, embodied design that makes complex systems tangible and experiential.
Rahul Kumar Sharma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rksblr/ Rahul brings deep systems thinking, forecasting, and hands-on technical expertise to prototype data-driven interactions using code and microcontrollers.
Charley Vincent - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleyvincent Charley grounds the work in human-centered inquiry and social impact, translating complex human–technology relationships into thoughtful design strategy and narrative.
Baishnabi Monger - https://www.linkedin.com/in/baishnabi-monger-9aba7b114/ Baishnabi anchors the collective’s soma practice, designing body-first interactions that foreground sensation, and movement as forms of knowing.