Rome Design Awards Silver

2025

BeEncounter – Emotional Management Chat Device

Entrant Company

National Taipei University of Business x Interdisciplinary Praxis Lab (IP LAB)

Category

Student Design - Interactive Design

Client's Name

Country / Region

Taiwan

In an era where emotional well-being faces mounting challenges, BeEncounter emerges as a compassionate innovation. In Taiwan alone, over 2 million people were diagnosed with depression by 2023, yet fewer than 30% have sought help.

BeEncounter bridges this urgent gap by seamlessly integrating Expressive Arts Therapy (EAT) with advanced AI-driven emotional analysis and healthcare connectivity. Shaped as an endearing bear companion, the device offers voice-based emotional expression, real-time mood tracking, and early warning notifications. Users interact naturally through spoken reflections, which are transcribed and analyzed by a powerful AI engine trained in sentiment detection and linguistic nuance.

The companion app extends the experience, offering video consultations, audio journaling, mood visualization dashboards, and personalized emotional reports. The system's predictive algorithms monitor emotional fluctuations and proactively notify therapists when signs of sustained distress appear, enabling timely intervention.

Technologically, BeEncounter features a Raspberry Pi 4 core, integrated with a capacitive touchscreen and voice recognition module, allowing for dynamic interaction. The AI system employs machine learning models trained on a diverse emotional corpus, ensuring high sensitivity and adaptability to individual users’ emotional states.

Beyond its technological sophistication, BeEncounter fosters warmth and trust. The tactile, animated bear form enhances user engagement, reducing emotional barriers often associated with clinical mental health tools. By blending emotional therapy, cutting-edge AI, and accessible healthcare pathways, BeEncounter redefines emotional management for a new generation—empowering individuals to heal emotionally, connect meaningfully, and thrive in an increasingly complex world, addressing the silent epidemic of depression with empathy and innovation.

Credits

Advisor / National Taipei University of Business, Department of Creative Technologies and Product Design
Yun-Ju Chen
Programmer / National Taipei University of Business, Department of Creative Technologies and Product Design
Chun-Ya Xu
Product Designer / National Taipei University of Business, Department of Creative Technologies and Product Design
Yu-Ying Wang
UI Designer / National Taipei University of Business, Department of Creative Technologies and Product Design
Tasi-Tung Yeh
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