BrEZ-Haptic Technology Based Emotion Profiling and Regulation

Abstract

A person’s normal reaction to any stressful condition is basically anxiety where a person feels butterflies in his/her stomach or feels apprehensive or fearful. Anxiety symptoms include symptoms as common as headache, stomachache, vomiting, insomnia, restlessness, diarrhea, and as serious and rare as brain tumor. The normal breathing rate of a person is 16-20 breaths per minute, but an anxious person’s breathing rate reaches up to 35-40 breaths per minute. Given the prevalence and adverse effects of anxiety and anxiety disorders, our product helps people regulate their anxiety through slow-paced breathing. Slow-paced breathing reduces the perceived stress which results in regulating person’s emotions. A chest-band consisting of sensors and actuators paired with a mobile-app was developed which collects the real-time data of a person. The user can personalize their experience by first training the device and the app according to his breathing pattern. If it detects an increase in breathing rate, it automatically generates vibrotactile patterns that are going to be like a person’s breathing pattern already configured by the user. Since the goal of the product is to pace breathing inconspicuously, the person starts breathing at the pace of the vibrotactile patterns being generated by the device. Hence reducing the increased rate in breathing and indirectly calming the person and reducing stress.