*Winner at The Design Education Trust 2026 Interplay Kinect Design competition.

Affective Reflections senses the user’s facial expression and dynamically adjusts a grid of 13 switchable polarizing lenses to reveal or obscure their reflection. Facial data is interpreted using the arousal–valence emotional model: valence (negative → positive) determines how many lenses turn opaque versus transparent, while arousal (low → high) controls the speed of the transitions. Negative, low-valence expressions produce a more obscured reflection; positive, high-valence expressions reveal more of the mirror.A simple hand-wave gesture allows the user to temporarily reset the mirror, clearing all lenses to provide a full, unobstructed view.