PulseSensor
2011An open-source heart-rate sensor, created with Joel Murphy, for bringing live heartbeats into electronics projects.

Open Source Hardware, Science, and Toy Design
I develop open-source hardware and design electronic toys. I’m a co-creator of PulseSensor and the founder of Banana Design Lab.
01 / Selected work
An open-source heart-rate sensor, created with Joel Murphy, for bringing live heartbeats into electronics projects.
02 / From the archive
Electronic toys and physical experiences, made in small runs to spark curiosity and wonder. My Beating Heart put a simulated heartbeat inside a soft, heart-shaped pillow.
With Carlos J. Gomez de Llarena: a city game played by finding Wi-Fi hotspots. The streets became the game board.
03 / Writing
Prototyping Devices with Biofeedback. A practical book with Joel Murphy, published by Apress.
04 / Teaching
Physical computing, wireless toys, and toy concept development.
05 / Press & talks
PulseSensor, demonstrated with Joel MurphyQuantified Self · 24 August 2011 · Video ↗A conversation with Mark FrauenfelderMake: Talk 011 · 30 March 2012 · Interview page ↗06 / Now · September 2026
This aquarium is the current experiment: a koi, a school of letters, and their decisions made visible.
07 / Contact
gitmany@newschool.edu ↗More background on my Parsons page.
Live character sheets
Surveying the water.
Choose any letter. Each miniature shares its real pose and state.
All cameras share the same simulation clock. Counts include offscreen and caught letters. Offscreen letters rest at home; caught letters return on refresh. Readouts stay readable while the koi swims over them.