Signal
The watch listens for patterns that suggest active conversation rather than background consumption. The goal was not to record or summarize people, but to sense the difference between being engaged and letting time slip into passive media.
HARDWARE · AI · WEARABLE · HACKATHON
Kairos
A physical watch for noticing the quality of time.
Kairos was built during MIT Hard Mode 2026, a 48-hour hardware hackathon hosted by MIT Media Lab. The project asks a simple question: what if a watch could reflect not just how much time has passed, but the kind of time you are spending?
The prototype uses on-device audio intelligence to distinguish meaningful human interaction from passive media. Instead of turning that signal into another notification, Kairos expresses it through a physical clock face: time slows down or speeds up based on the quality of presence around you.
project moments
Expression
We translated that signal into a physical clock face. Good time feels fuller and more present, so the interface became mechanical and ambient instead of another screen demanding attention.
Next
Full process, build details, and prototype media are coming as I add the rest of the assets from the hackathon.