Multisensory floral clock: enhanced multisensory timekeeping with technological design

Conference item

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in biophilic design and its beneficial effects on human well-being. This article explores the concept of biophilic multisensory timekeeping design through the creation of a Multisensory Floral Clock. Inspired by Carl Linnaeus’s 18th-century floral clock, this innovative project integrates visual and olfactory elements to provide a calming and immersive timekeeping experience. Each hour is represented by a mechanical flower that opens and releases a corresponding scents, aligned with natural patterns of blooming. The design leverages biophilic principles and historical and contemporary multisensory timekeeping practices, such as Chinese and Japanese incense clocks, to enhance the experience of everyday life. This article focuses on presenting the design and conceptual framework, discussing the benefits of biophilic design/art, the challenges of floral scents integration, and the potential impact on emotional, cognitive, and physiological well-being. This article primarily explores whether the Multisensory Floral Clock can reduce the stress associated with conventional timekeeping by offering a more engaging and nature-connected experience, with pilot testing and audience feedback to be conducted in future studies.

Authors: Gao, Y; Spence, C

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer Nature
• Host title: ArtsIT, Interactivity and Game Creation: 13th EAI International Conference, ArtsIT 2024, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, November 13–15, 2024, Proceedings, Part I
• Volume: 650
• Pages: 20-35
• Series: Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering
• Publication date: 2025-07-08
• Acceptance date: 2024-09-05
• Event title: 13th EAI International Conference on ArtsIT, Interactivity and Game Creation, ArtsIT 2024
• Event series: ArtsIT: International Conference on ArtsIT, Interactivity and Game Creation
• Event location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• Event website: https://artsit.eai-conferences.org/2024/
• Event start date: 2024-11-13
• Event end date: 2024-11-15
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-97254-6_2
• EISSN: 1867-822X
• ISSN: 1867-8211
• EISBN: 9783031972546
• ISBN: 9783031972539
• Language: English
• Keywords: floral scents; biophilic design; multisensory timekeeping