The Utility of Calming Technologies in Integrative Productivity

From The Theme
KNOWLEDGE WORKER PRODUCTIVITY

WHAT IF
What if we could use technologies for sensing, feedback and interpretation of cognition, affect and physiology to avoid stress, maintain focus and increase calm?

WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO
We set out to identify the parameters of systems that could improve mental patterns by influencing cognitive and affective stress. Towards the end, we explored the use of wearable sensors for non-invasive psychophysiological monitoring, with a focus on respiration.

WHAT WE FOUND
We identified basic requirements for cognition- affect-physiology feedback. With preliminary prototype devices, we collected data and identified patterns that can be used to improve the utility of respiratory feedback in reducing stress.

LEARN MORE
mediaX Research Project Update, Fall 2013

mediaX Research Theme Update, Spring 2013

Watch Videos About This Project

Calming Technologies Publications

Spire Website

PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROJECT
Roy Pea is the David Jacks Professor of Learning Sciences and Education, Graduate School of Education. Since 1981, Dr. Pea has been exploring how information technologies can support and advance the scientific understanding and practices of learning and teaching, with particular focus on topics in science, mathematics, and technology education and their associated symbolic and communicative interchanges that are integral to learning.

Neema Moraveji is the Director of the Stanford Calming Technology Lab. His research concerns ‘calming technology’; technologies that attempt to help users cultivate ‘calm’ in their lives (less stress, better focus, more calm). He’s the Co-founder of Spire. Spire is the world’s first wearable that tracks how you breathe in real-time – in addition to how you move. It provides value for you throughout the day – at work, on your commute, and at home.

Joel Aguero is an engineer and designer. He particularly enjoys providing creative vision, wondering “what if”, and socializing a user-centered mindset. He previously worked as a designer at Palantir, Coursera and as a Kleiner Perkins design fellow. He studied product design and HCI at Stanford University.

Jakob Eg Larsen is an Associate Professor at the Technical University of Denmark, DTU Compute. His research interests include Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Personal Data Interaction, Information Visualization, and Personal Informatics / Quantified Self. He teaches courses in the Digital Media Engineering MSc program on topics including human computer interaction, mobile/wearable application prototyping, personal informatics, and user experience.

Jeffrey Heer is an Associate Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, where he directs the Interactive Data Lab and conducts research on data visualization, human-computer interaction and social computing. His group’s research papers have received awards at the premier venues in Human-Computer Interaction and Information Visualization.