Blog
Inside HART: How We’re Redefining Human Connection Through Technology
If you walked into one of our HART meetings this year, you might first notice the chaotic mix of coffee cups, laptops, and tangled cables - but if you stayed longer, you'd witness something deeper: a team of students passionate about reshaping how humans connect and communicate.
The Mission: Touching the Future
At HART, we’re on a mission to push the boundaries of human augmentation - not in a sci-fi sense, but in real, tangible ways that empower people through technology. Our project this year revolves around a wearable haptic sleeve that translates facial expressions into vibrational patterns on the skin. Imagine feeling someone’s smile on your arm - that’s the kind of experience we’re working to make possible.
By mapping facial expressions, and even exploring EEG integration to provide real-time emotional feedback, we’re developing a system that opens up entirely new ways of perceiving and interacting with the world, especially for those with limited access to traditional communication channels.
The societal implications of EEG-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) extend far beyond the lab. For individuals with conditions like locked-in syndrome, EEG technology can restore agency by enabling communication through thought alone. Therefore, BCIs could help caretakers to better understand their patients needs, emotions, and preferences - evolving care from uncertainty into precise, empathetic interaction.
Behind the Tech: A Team Fueled by Passion
What makes this journey so exciting isn’t just the tech, it’s the people. HART brings together students from different backgrounds. Some of us dream of building prosthetics, others are driven by neuroscience. What we all share is a deep commitment to creating meaningful technology and a collaborative space to grow.
Each cluster, from Tech and Research to Business, Marketing and Collaboration, owns a piece of the puzzle. The Tech cluster refines the core of our tactile system and built user interfaces. Business hustles to build partnerships and secure funding. Marketing tells our story with clarity and “hart”. And our Collaboration team initiates workshops with high schoolers, sparking curiosity and inclusion far beyond our own team.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
This year at HART has been about far more than building a wearable. It’s been about building trust, curiosity, and a shared vision of what’s possible when technology meets empathy. As Jerzy Trčka, a software developer within our team, put it: “Team HART inspires me to reach for more - to broaden my horizons and move past my comfort zone”.
We’re proud of the ground we’ve broken and even more excited for what’s next. Because in the end, human augmentation isn’t just about new senses, it’s about deeper connection. And that’s what we’re really building here.
TU/e Student Teams: Innovating for a Better Future
HART is part of the TU/e innovation Space – a dynamic hub for Challenge-Based Learning and entrepreneurship, where interdisciplinary Student Teams take on real-world problems, from clean energy to healthcare, to deep space exploration. Working with researchers, industry partners, and fellow students, teams like Aster help to shape the future of technology in the Brainport Region.
Read more about the other student teams here!
