Sketches of the first prototype of the Rhythm Pad.

Picture taken during a user test with the first prototype of the Rhythm Pad.

Sketches of the second prototype of the Rhythm Pad.

Picture taken during a user test with the second prototype of the Rhythm Pad.

Video of the final prototype of the Rhythm Pad.

Paradoxes are existing at work towards stress. There is a high pressure on office workers, but no opportunities to relax. I made a device that helps people to calm down through the combination of breathing and moving. By breathing people are calmed, and the movement enhances the effect of the breathing and let people learn the skill to relax. By placing both hands on the Rhythm Pad, the stress level of the user is measured. The user starts breathing and moving in the pace of the Rhythm Pad. The user can adjust the speed to his or her preference. Feedback is given in the form of the LEDs placed on top of the Rhythm Pad.

Description

My final master project is about helping people to deal with stress in a working environment. My goal is to create a concept that helps individuals to change their rhythm and support their skill to relax and feel well at work. Humans develop skills through physically interacting with the world and not only by thinking about it. The skill to relax at work through physical interaction is one that still needs to be introduced in a working environment. Existing biofeedback products are in lack of the physical interaction and physical movement that are important to actually learn a skill. By learning the skill to relax and feel well, a person will be stimulated to change his or her rhythm in a positive way. Products that help people to relax at work are not yet accepted in the Netherlands. To reach that acceptance, it is in my opinion that the values of the users play a role. The proposed concept consist of a device that helps people to calm down through the combination of breathing and moving. Three iterations were completed in order to create the final prototype of the Rhythm Pad.

During the first iteration literature was studied, a first prototype was build, empathy for the users was gained, the context was visited and a design direction was formulated. One of the biggest questions that was formulated during iteration 1 is whether a visible prototype or a less visible prototype would be accepted by the users best with the taboo on stress in mind.

During the second iteration experts were contacted to understand the relation of HR and HRV towards breathing. The concept of combining breathing with a physical movement in the same frequency was found to be intriguing by the experts. A user test was held to find out whether the assumptions that were made towards the user experience and physical effects of the breathing exercises were true or not. It was found that breathing in a resonant frequency indeed helps to gain a higher HRV. The focus was reset from focusing on a small device versus a big device towards giving the users a boost in relaxation in a short time, in a separate room, which contains the Rhythm Pad.

During the third iteration a final prototype was build. The prototype includes biofeedback. The biofeedback was based on the HRV scores measured during the second iteration. The design of the Rhythm Pad could be big because it was moved to another room and didn't need to be invisible anymore. Through a test it was proven that it is better to use one of my prototypes instead of doing nothing to relax.

Coach

dr. ir. Evelien van de Garde - Perik

Clients

GGzE, Philips Design