An Interactive Relaxation Mat
A classroom project done under a course of 8 weeks aimed at understanding User Interaction Design. It was significant to understand the degree of interaction that was required between the human and the product. Also the multi-sensorial experience that would be generated in the process.
In today's fast paced world, we deal with mental health that is still accompanied with a lot of taboo, my aim at making a mat solely for relaxation purpose is that it can be used at workplaces, socially relevant institutes to create awareness. How can we take it forward and make the importance of taking breaks, refreshing one's mind and clearing out our heads, a household concept that doesn't have to be looked down upon.
Concept of Yoga
The relaxation mat derives its roots from the concept of Yogic Sleep. The guided meditation that is done in Yoga has been looked very differently here. The intervention is to use something of spiritual importance and see if we can accommodate that into the products of our daily life. Can we create something that becomes a sensorial experience for users of all kinds and that adds to their well-being as well?
Personas and Surveys
Multiple people of different age groups were interviewed and spoken to about their views on Yoga and their beliefs of what is the main purpose of indulging in this practice, a range of views were received.
People love taking breaks and relaxing, concept of spirituality fascinates them and technology baffles them. Through the mat, I've attempted to create an amalgamation of these areas and help improve the state of mind of the people using it. From giving them a certain degree of freedom to controlling the extent of the purely indicative tactile response, the mat has been created to only cater to a specific need.
Yogic Sleep/Yog Nidra
Final Brief
To optimise time while relaxation and meditation and facilitate awareness while Yogic Sleep. To create a tactile experience, using the concept of Yogic Sleep. Emphasising on the importance of a relaxation for all(also elderly, differently abled) at workplaces and institutions, a very structured method of relaxation was conceptualised.
Iterations
Anthropometry: Understanding body dimensions
This was a research done to understand the different body percentile in the Indian context. With the help of existing dimensions of current yoga mats and mattresses, a dimension could be set for this as well. Each measurement range of each body part was marked and the mat was divided into 15 parts segregated into 4 parts of the mat to make it folding.
Fabrication
A standardised mat was fabricated using rhythmic vibrations across each of the part of the body that would facilitate a tactile experience for the user and guide him through the relaxation process. The 4-fold mat has been prototyped using vibration motors fixated onto foam and sun boards. The vibration motors have been wired together in a circuit and a have been coded on Arduino to vibrate at different paces across the mat. Anthropometric dimensions were considered to make it as universal as possible
Final Prototype
Thank You
