biofeedback butterfly – A new DIY biofeedback build turns a wearer’s heartbeat into a visible rhythm: a 3D-printed butterfly flaps using an SG90 micro servo controlled by an Arduino Uno and a MAX30102 pulse oximetry sensor. The goal is more than a neat gadget—it’s practice in noticin
A butterfly that flaps to your heartbeat sounds like a flight of fancy—until the wings start moving in time with your pulse.
Mariia Hruntes built a wearable biofeedback project designed to make a biological process impossible to ignore. The signal at the center of the system is the user’s heartbeat, tracked with a MAX30102 pulse oximetry sensor. That sensor can measure both heart rate and blood oxygen levels, if you choose to use it that way. In this build, the Arduino Uno polls the pulse rate data and turns it into motion.
The motion comes from an SG90 micro servo, which actuates the wings of a 3D printed butterfly. The result is simple and immediate: the wings flap in pace with the wearer’s pulse. With each beat. the device externalizes what’s usually internal—an embodied feedback loop the wearer can watch happen in real time.
Hruntes’ stated goal goes beyond showing the mechanism. The build is meant to observe the rhythm, then try to change it. By calming oneself—using the “power of the mind” to relax—users can attempt to slow the flapping through biofeedback. turning mental effort into measurable changes in heartbeat-driven motion.
It’s a straightforward setup. built around commonly used components: a MAX30102 sensor for pulse data. an Arduino Uno to read and poll. and an SG90 servo to move the wings. Yet the project lands on a wider idea that’s been showing up in other biofeedback experiments—systems that help people influence states like sleep. and that support practices like meditation.
For anyone interested in trying biofeedback in the real world, this one offers a clear blueprint: make the body’s signals visible, then experiment with how your own attention and calm can shift the pattern. If you’re building something similar, the call is simple—share your project on the tipsline.
biofeedback wearable tech heartbeat sensor MAX30102 Arduino Uno SG90 micro servo 3D printed butterfly DIY electronics pulse oximetry mental calm meditation