My Role
I focused on understanding the requirement of different sensors to execute the behaviour we had wanted to achieve and connect them to the Arduino, adapt the motor mechanism to the current device, change the smell according to research and user needs, integrate the temperature sensor with the wristband, integrate the different parts into the wristband, implement the system, design and understand the user scenario of the product, develop storyboard for the use case, user testing and research on stress and sensors.
The challenge
Help tackle work stress and be more productive
Stress in general is very vast topic, people come across various levels of stress in their lifetime. The problem approached in this project was represented by psychological stress that prevents people from being productive and content. According to Labour Force Survey, work causes 44% of stress and anxiety. Stress causes people to be less productive and because of this, 12.5 million working days were lost in 2016 and 2017. Psychological stress has multiple characteristics and is externalised through various physiological signals, from increased body temperature and sweating to increased heart rate and chest pains. This externalisation offers an opportunity to detect a mind state through body sensors. The problem approached in this project was of high importance, because it related to the daily lives of people. Stress can prevent people from leading a regular and productive life.
the approach
Deep into the User's Mind
Our lack of domain knowledge meant we needed to understand the nature of stress and the correlation with smell thoroughly. We approached all aspects of the project collaboratively and spent most out time doing in-depth research from user and technical perspective.
"The existing studies revealed that fragrance is indeed powerful enough to counteract stress in a performance task."
We had decided to explore smell as a form of interaction, but it was important to understand how and when it would be appropriate to use this system. Our survey indicated that most people felt stressed out by deadlines or work, about 36% felt that a calming smell would help them relax. Based on the survey findings we decided to design a system that could be used in a workplace and could be portable and customisable to the user’s choices and needs.
The Discovery
Understanding the Smell
Insights from our research confirmed the need of such a device and solution. At the beginning of the project, it was important to know what senses from the body needed to be tracked. We focused on heart rate and temperature sensors for the skin. When under stress a person’s heart rate rises, as does their body temperature. The rise in body temperature is as little as 0.5◦C, but having two sensors would help make our wearable more reliable. For the release of smell I explored a few options and landed on reusing an existing room freshener. This was a quick way to understand how we could control the release of a fragrance into the environment. Later versions of the smell dispenser iterated on the same principle of a motor pressing down on a bottle of fragrance, which would be replaceable.
The requirements
Thinking big, starting small
Although our vision was to create an stress reliever through smell, the personas were a very important aspect in the design process. They helped us to make sure that we are always designing for the user, and not let our own biases drive our design. For measuring the effectiveness of the product we targeted students, staff and working professionals to help them ease their stress level by releasing a relaxing fragrance when the wristband detects an increase in their stress level. This encourages them to relax in order to be able to perform optimally without the risk of a breakdown.
Scenario and Use Case
We considered various scenarios and the context under which our target user group would use the product. While identifying and refining the user scenarios we considered why the user would get stressed and how they would deal with issue. We had elaborated our scenarios to understand the user characteristics that may help or hinder the product interaction. Knowing this information we were able to develop the product behaviour and design that our users would find comfortable and easy to use. To understand and visualise the use cases of our product, we sketched an use case that includes the intended use of our device in a given situation.
Technical Requirement
Before assembling we used multiple online tools to test our ideas, before adding the components to the Arduino. Each sensor would first be added to Tinkercad 4 and tested using simple input - output commands to see how the sensor worked and what data could be extracted. Because of the simulations we were able to find design flaws and correct these mistakes before the prototype was assembled.
The Process
The prototyping process included exploring multiple variations of what the device might look like and it’s interaction. I gave ergonomics a great importance in this process. We played a lot with various forms of the portable device and the proximity of the user from the device to get the the right quotient of smell. We also explored the aesthetic aspects of the device and the wristband. The internals including the heart sensor, galvanic temperature sensor, bluetooth and inter-device communications were enabled through programming in Arduino.
User Testing
Validating concept
We worked closely with our users to help us validate our idea and process at every step of the project.
We conducted user testing at every step of the project. For getting detailed feedback, at every stage of the prototype We have conducted 3 user tests, two with business owners that deal with similar devices like ours and one with a student. The overall feedback was positive.
"The users declared being interested in using our product after the final development stage to help them deal with the stress in their lives."
Prototype 1
After the simulations of individual sensors and circuit diagrams had been completed, we started working on assembling the prototype. The first prototype used a heartbeat sensor to trigger an electric motor that was attached above the fragrance bottle in an air freshener. The earlier design worked on a threshold mechanism: the air freshener would spray once the heart rate crossed this threshold. After some testing, we had agreed that the initial design had to be improved and be more user friendly. The air freshener had to be replaced with our own smell dispenser which required a case to store the mechanism and squirt bottle.
Final Prototype
The improvements we made for final prototype was after many design choices and user feedback. We improved on the usability by creating a wristband that contained all the sensors that would collect data from the end-user. We decided to used an electric motor to trigger the smell using the same mechanism as the previous design. The smell dispenser in itself was created from the ground up using a pump and bottle to contain the fragrance, which was placed in a wooden case. The newer version made the device more user friendly and easier to use.
Final design
Introducing EMPA
A wearable device combined with a stationary smell dispenser box that can be used at work or at home to relieve stress.