The Resonance Pod
Can breathing change your emotions?
Exhibited in Dutch Design Week 2020
Published in 2021 IEEE World Haptics Conference
Shor, D., Ruitenburg, Y., Boere, W., Lomas, J. D., & Huisman, G. (2021, July). The Resonance Pod: Applying Haptics in a Multi-Sensory Experience to Promote Relaxation Through Breathing Entrainment. In 2021 IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC) (pp. 1143-1143). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/WHC49131.2021.9517165In collaboration with Willemijn Boere
2020: 10 months
Part of Msc Design for Interaction at Delft University of Technology
Activities: Problem definition, concept generation, iterative prototyping, user testing
Context
The pandemic forced many of our interactions to become digital. For some, the strain of this remote work has manifested in a disconnect between mind and body. The Resonance Pod reconnects people with the rhythms of their bodies, improving mental wellbeing through the power of breath.
The Resonance Pod
Changing your breathing rhythm can shift your body from an active to a calm state. So, a slow breathing rhythm allows people to calm down. The pod is provided with different stimuli, such as light, vibrations, and sound. These stimuli pulse at a certain rhythm. Your breathing will adjust itself to the pulsations of the stimuli subconsciously and, therefore, change your breathing frequency.
Design Process
For people to follow the rhythm without thinking about it, the rhythm has to feel natural. With weekly prototypes and user tests, we adjusted the three different stimuli so the user feels so comfortable that the controlled guidance is almost unnoticeable.
Implementation
The calming effect of this pod could be useful in the following four contexts; 1) helping people with mental disabilities to stabilise their moods, 2) reducing stress in office workers, 3) calming down patients in hospitals, 4) helping soldiers recover from traumatic events.
