morphplay
morphplay
MorphPlay is a playful, scent-based installation that explores memory, attachment, and shared experience. At its center is a plush bunny that "sniffs" you and generates whimsical memory-like descriptions, blending scent, projection, and storytelling. It’s part toy, part emotional experiment—and all about connection.
As MorphPlay evolved, I began exploring a more dystopian layer: a mass-produced toy marketed as a personalized emotional companion, designed to simulate connection by catering to a parent's scent. In the first prototype, the bunny randomly pulled from a database of scent-based memories, creating quirky but generic interactions. In the second version, I introduced a color detection feature using ML5, allowing the toy to identify the color of clothing worn by the user and generate a scent accordingly. This shift added an eerie specificity—mimicking personalization while raising questions about how technology interprets intimacy, identity, and care in increasingly algorithmic ways.
My project was selected as one of 15 featured innovations for Porter Novelli’s first Innovation Salon (New York City, 2025), an event highlighting cutting-edge work in AR/VR, AI-powered storytelling, and emerging technologies in storytelling.
