Academics
SomaLab
Where do you feel it? Paint warm and cool on a body for anger, then love, then sadness - then reveal the maps hundreds of people drew, and see how the body's energy signal is one dial of the feeling map you already know. Bodhi the axolotl feels every part of itself. The maps are averages, never a diagnosis; the belly-flutter is BOTH nervous and excited; and there are no sensors - you NOTICE your heartbeat and breath, never measure them. Ages 9-14.
#C65F7B Distributed-narrative cast
Meet the cast
SomaLab is the 9-14 body-based emotion science - interoception, reading the body's side of a feeling. Bodhi the axolotl is the hero: it can feel every part of itself, so it maps where a feeling lives in the body (hot head for anger, heavy limbs for sadness) - feeling the body is Bodhi. The companions each embody one part of the science: heat is the energy dial, the belly-flutter is two feelings at once, the breath is the one lever you own, and you NOTICE the body rather than measure it. The maps are recreated averages, never a diagnosis; there are no sensors; and nothing a learner paints is ever saved (map, not log).
Bodhi
The body map (hero) - an axolotl that feels every part of itself and maps where a feeling lives in the body; painting where anger runs hot or sadness goes heavy is Bodhi.
Flush
Heat is the energy dial - a warm rush across the body; embodies how the more a feeling lights the body up, the higher its energy on the affect map (the body's heat IS the arousal axis, felt from inside).
Tingle
The butterflies are both - the belly-flutter that is the SAME body signal for nervous AND excited; embodies that the label depends on the situation, not the sensation.
Zephyr
The one lever you own - a gentle breath of air; embodies that you can't order your heart to slow but you CAN slow your breath, and the body often follows - the breath is the body signal you can move on purpose.
Prickle
Notice, don't measure - the skin and heartbeat sensations you can NOTICE with no gadget at all; embodies that reading the body is a skill, not a measurement (SomaLab has no sensors, no camera, no heart-rate).
What's inside
Learning goal
Where do you feel it? Paint warm and cool on a body for anger, then love, then sadness - then reveal the maps hundreds of people drew, and see how the body's energy signal is one dial of the feeling map you already know. Bodhi the axolotl feels every part of itself. The maps are averages, never a diagnosis; the belly-flutter is BOTH nervous and excited; and there are no sensors - you NOTICE your heartbeat and breath, never measure them. Ages 9-14.
Question kits
16 curriculum-aligned kits × 25 questions = 400 questions per app, mapped to recognized standards.
On-device AI mentor
FoundationModels-powered hints, feedback, and adaptive difficulty — all running locally.
How SomaLab handles your kid's data
- ✅ All progress, settings, and AI-generated content stays on the device
- ✅ No analytics, no tracking, no third-party SDKs
- ✅ No ads, no in-app purchases — you pay once
- ✅ COPPA compliant under the 2026 FTC amendments
- ✅ Parental controls + session limits + content filters built in
SomaLab runs on ForgeKit — the open-source Swift Package Manager framework that powers every Spark & Anvil app. ForgeKit ensures consistent accessibility, COPPA compliance, and design language across the portfolio, so your kid's progress and preferences feel coherent across every app they touch.
Coming to the App Store
SomaLab is in active development. Email us to hear when it ships — no marketing, no spam, just a one-shot launch announcement.
Email me at launch