Dišimo: Anchoring Our Breath
This addresses stress management for individuals seeking personal and social well-being, but it is incremental as it builds on existing biofeedback and ambient display technologies.
The authors tackled the problem of stress awareness by developing Dišimo, a multimodal ambient display that uses heart rate monitoring to detect low heart rate variability and prompts users with audio-guided breathing exercises, enabling shared relaxation sessions with close ones.
We present a system that raises awareness about users' inner state. Dišimo is a multimodal ambient display that provides feedback about one's stress level, which is assessed through heart rate monitoring. Upon detecting a low heart rate variability for a prolonged period of time, Dišimo plays an audio track, setting the pace of a regular and deep breathing. Users can then choose to take a moment to focus on their breath. By doing so, they will activate the Dišimo devices belonging to their close ones, who can then join for a shared relaxation session.