Project Overview

​My project, Mirrored Empathy, is an interactive smart mirror installation that combines facial detection, emotional classification, ambient lighting, and conversational AI. When the system is idle with no face in view, the smart mirror will just function as a mirror that also displays the time and weather of the local area. The system starts when the smart mirror detects a face through the connected webcam. Once detected through mediapipe, the system turns on white LED lighting and asks, “How are you feeling today?” The user responds with voice input, and their answer is converted into a set mood within the code. The mirror then changes the LED lighting behind it to reflect a  color for their mood. These being happy, sad, angry, tired, nervous, excited, and calm corresponding to yellow, dark blue, red, purple, a greenish yellow, light blue, and green respectively. The mirror then continues a conversation with the user via ChatGPT, keeping the tone empathetic and contextually aware. When the user walks away or says a keyword to end the conversation, such as “bye” or “stop,” the LEDs turn off and the interaction ends.

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What gives Mirrored Empathy its strength as an art piece is the way it encourages reflection both literally and emotionally. The interaction doesn’t try to impress with complexity or overwhelm users with advanced features. It just asks a simple question and responds with care. That simplicity invites a slower, more personal engagement that many interactive technologies tend to overlook in modern tech. The mirror functions as more than a reactive surface. It becomes a space where subtle feedback carries emotional weight.

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The ambient glow of the LEDs plays a major role in this experience. It creates an environment that shifts based on how you feel, but it does so gently. Instead of flashing or blinking, the lighting fades into soft tones that mirror emotional states. That glow can fill a room when dark or be just noticeable enough for the user in bright settings. The mirror doesn’t demand your attention, but rather shares it. This kind of feedback feels closer to how people comfort each other through tone and presence.