FEELU – Emotions Assistant
Description
FEELU is a companion for the work environment. It helps managing stress and learning to be mindful with yourself. Several exercises help to reduce stress situations. The functions can be controlled with a simple and very user-friendly interface shown on the display. In times of digital consumption, it helps you to set your focus on your conscious mind. The assistant relates to Bluetooth with your smartwatch. The integrated sensors can recognize the vital signs and the outcoming stress factor. The emotion-assistant supports with sense perception to reduce stress to stay cool on a busy workday. It works with visual and haptic interaction and activates neuronal stimuli through light and heat.What is the Topic?
In daily life you can lose yourself really fast in the digitalization for instance all the screens in the work place, at home or every minute when you look at your smartphone or smart watch, Virtual reality, and augmented reality is a further step to the possibility to lose yourself in the virtual world. Also, the changing work environments open new possibilities but also new stress levels. We live faster, we work faster because of the mobility. How to focus with all this impression around you? In a society where only the exhibition of strength survives, where is the humanity with all the emotions which makes us how we are but also very vulnerable? Emotions and the topic around Emotions is getting more and more bigger in the design community. Emotions are part of our personality and the subconscious driver in our decisions. The research about that is not nearly finished yet. There are a lot of definitions about emotions in the psychology research but not in design. To reflect yourself you need to be concerned about your emotions. My Master thesis was a project to reflect on the society and to work with a growing stress levels in the community especially in the work environment.
Why does it look like this?
To find the right form for the product I had to define the formal representation of emotions. Which factors are necessary to set off emotions? How can I recognize them? Which areas of product language are relevant? For that the answer is semiotics which is important, and which is based on the Offenbacher approach (product language). The shape is defined through color, material and form. The form has 2D and 3D aspects. It is hard to separate color and material because each material has a specific color. All components merge together and influence each other to get a good result when it is possible. If an object is easy to read, then it conveys trust. The object seems to be intuitive and does not let out any irritations in the perception. Round flat elements express softness, comfort, pleasantness, and slinkiness. The Form should have an inviting presence, be able to express comfortability and should lead out for interaction. The inner circles should encourage curiosity and the desire to touch and interact. The goal is to have a simple design where the function is in the foreground, which would not be possible with a complex form.
What is special?
Today it is technical possible to measure your pulse with wearable gadgets. The assistant interacts with you and suggests different exercises. This is possible with the help of integrated sensors in the smartwatch. To activate neural stimuli, it works with visual and haptic interaction like light, vibration, and heat. The goal was to design a clean product which invites to interact without over stimulating screens. Focus is to get to know you better with the help of other senses. For the interaction it needs Arduino components which are programmed. The assistant is connected through Bluetooth with the smartwatch to react and interact in stressful situation. To get the right interaction for different reactions or stress level, it works with an algorithm. However, it is also possible to do exercises or interact with the product when you want it. Special is the signal function for the colleagues which is optimal for open plan offices. It should help to coordinate better to have more transparency and prescribe shorter ways to communicate. It helps if you are totally concentrated and productive, then no one gets you out in this time but only when it is very important. It can show to the others where you are at the moment, maybe at a meeting or a meeting with a customer.
What is new?
Yoga and Meditation is one of the possibilities managing stress, these are available in different shapes like applications. In my concept it is about the usage of neural stimulation like touching and heat in combination with wearable technology. There is nothing comparable in terms of combination and amount like my project.
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