Flasq: When Your Water Bottle Becomes Your Work Buddy
The Problem: Why Do We Forget to Drink Water?
"I often forget to drink water during deep work. The only time I stayed consistently hydrated was when my teapot was always visible in winter."
The insight: Hydration reminders fail because they're external, generic notifications that don't fit into your workflow. They interrupt rather than integrate.
The opportunity: What if your water bottle could become a creature you care about – one that gently nudges you without breaking your focus?
The Solution: From Object to Companion
I transformed a mundane water carafe into Flasq, an emotionally intelligent hydration assistant that uses ambient lighting and touch interaction to create a sense of companionship.
Key features:
- RGB ambient lighting that responds to your presence
- Capacitive touch interface for mode switching
- Pomodoro timer integration
- Visual feedback that mimics a living creature's mood
The Research: Why Emotional Design Works
I studied three educational robots to understand how emotional connection drives behavioral change:
Otto DIY – 20 programmable gestures that make robotics accessible to kids
Miro – A robot dog used in schools and elderly care that humans naturally empathize with
TEO – A companion robot that elicits social and emotional responses in children with neurodevelopmental disorders
The finding: Emotional affordance increases engagement. When users perceive agency in an object, they're more likely to interact with it consistently.
The Build: From Concept to Prototype
Choosing the Right Form Factor
I tested different bottle shapes and discovered that flask-like carafes offer:
- Lower haptic threshold for easier drinking
- Better light refraction for ambient effects
- More creature-like proportions
Technical Implementation
Lighting System: ESP32 + Neopixel ring creates mood-based lighting patterns Touch Interface: Capacitive touch pins on an aluminum ring enable mode switching Visual Feedback: Processing IDE integration for real-time debugging
The Interaction Flow
| Mode | Trigger | Feedback |
|---|---|---|
| Idle | No touch | Soft glowing |
| Focus | Touch | Pomodoro animation |
| Refill Needed | Water low | Pulsing blue light |
| User Near | Presence detected | Awakening sparkle |
User Testing: The Magic Moment
"It feels like a mystical companion in the room – like a crystal ball that gives me creative energy."
"It doesn't have eyes but feels alive – I don't want to let it down."
Users reported feeling motivated to drink water not because of notifications, but because they didn't want to "let down" their companion. The emotional connection drove behavior change.
Technical Challenges & Solutions
Problem: Blocking loops in LED sequences made the device unresponsive Solution: Switched to non-blocking logic using NeoPatterns library
Problem: Water level sensors were unreliable and expensive Solution: Prioritized emotional design over data precision for MVP
Problem: Capacitive touch wasn't working on Arduino Solution: Leveraged ESP32's built-in touch pins for more reliable interaction
The Impact: Beyond Hydration
Flasq demonstrates how emotional design can transform everyday objects into meaningful companions. The project shows that:
- Ambient, non-intrusive nudges are more effective than push notifications
- Emotional connection drives consistent behavior better than data tracking
- Simple interactions can create complex emotional responses
What's Next
Immediate priorities:
- User testing to define core MVP features
- BLE/WiFi integration with Flutter mobile app
- Improved power management and form factor
Future exploration:
- Presence detection sensors
- Visual avatar display
- Manufacturing-ready design
Want to see Flasq in action? Watch the demo
Interested in emotional design for behavior change? Let's explore how we can apply these principles to your next project.