Abstract
In this position paper, we discuss the role of smart garments for stress reduction. Stress management plays a vital role in healthy living. Stress is an essential component of human life, but too much of it is a risk factor contributing to problems with concentration and a wide variety of illnesses including hypertension, heart problems, disorders of the immune system, and depression. Proposed solutions include mindfulness exercises, biofeedback, muscle-relaxation, and breathing exercises. Most of these solutions are either low-tech or rely on smart-phone apps. In this position paper, we argue that there is a great design opportunity to embed stress reduction solutions in everyday garments. Garments are a natural interface to the human body and enable practical ways to anchor stress reduction in the rituals of daily life. Another advantage is that we move attention away from the smartphone, which too often is a source of information overload by itself. We demonstrate an aesthetically pleasing soft actuator in a garment, which is realized by embroidery of conductive yarn, and which can be used as both a subtle break reminder or as a tool guiding breathing exercises. We reflect on the various design choices during the process of creating this demonstrator.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | UbiComp/ISWC 2019- - Adjunct Proceedings of the 2019 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing and Proceedings of the 2019 ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computers |
Publisher | Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. |
Pages | 1050-1053 |
Number of pages | 4 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781450368698 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 9 Sept 2019 |
Event | 23rd International Symposium on Wearable Computers, ISWC 2019 - London, United Kingdom Duration: 9 Sept 2019 → 13 Sept 2019 Conference number: 23 |
Conference
Conference | 23rd International Symposium on Wearable Computers, ISWC 2019 |
---|---|
Abbreviated title | ISWC 2019 |
Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | London |
Period | 9/09/19 → 13/09/19 |
Other | 2019 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing and 2019 ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computers, UbiComp/ISWC 2019 |
Keywords
- Healthcare
- Smart garments
- Stress reduction
- Technology
- Wearables
- Wearables and Technology