Stress Reduction in Everyday Wearables Balanced

Brigitte van der Lugt, Loe Feijs

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionAcademicpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)
1 Downloads (Pure)

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 languageEnglish
Title of host publicationUbiComp/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
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery, Inc.
Pages1050-1053
Number of pages4
ISBN (Electronic)9781450368698
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 9 Sept 2019
Event23rd International Symposium on Wearable Computers, ISWC 2019 - London, United Kingdom
Duration: 9 Sept 201913 Sept 2019
Conference number: 23

Conference

Conference23rd International Symposium on Wearable Computers, ISWC 2019
Abbreviated titleISWC 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityLondon
Period9/09/1913/09/19
Other2019 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

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