A wearable tVNS device for neurodivergent emotional regulation — designed from lived experience, grounded in research.
The Parasympathetic Nervous System is the body's physiological bridge between physical states and the brain's emotional centers. The Vagus Nerve is its primary pathway — running from the brainstem through the neck and ear, all the way to the gut.
HOMEO delivers gentle transcutaneous stimulation to two branches of this nerve: the auricular (ear) and cervical (neck). Not as a medical device — but as a designed artifact shaped by the people who need it most.
The design process combined embodied prototyping with neurodivergent adults, semi-structured interviews with medical professionals, and validation in lab settings — grounding every decision in lived experience.
Interact with the autonomic nervous system. Shift the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic to understand what tVNS is helping regulate.
A literature dashboard aggregating and visualizing current tVNS research — designed to make the science navigable for designers, clinicians, and curious minds.
Wearable technology, interaction design, creative technology — more from Rafael Bertacini's practice at brtcn.co.
Brazilian industrial designer and creative technologist, exploring how complex human experiences can be made tangible through objects and interactions — using wearable and interactive systems that connect perception, emotion, and physical form to translate internal states into meaningful, designed experiences.
Interested in partnering, investing, or collaborating on research? Open to job opportunities in wearable design, neurotech, and interaction design.
rbertacini@ucdavis.edu