Serena: a wearable to combat anxiety and induce calm by Wei Cheung
Channel: Adriana Cabrera
Date: 2018-11-20

Hochschule Rhein-Waal, 3D-Kompetenzzentrum  Niederrhein, FabLab Kamp-Lintfort

Project Fabricademy & Personal Fabrication For Care
Advisers: Adriana Cabrera, Prof. Karsten Nebe
Author: Wei-Ying Cheung M.Sc. Usability and Engineering 


Stressful situations and anxiety of varying degrees affect most of us at some point in our lives. Typical anxiety symptoms are sweating, a faster heart rate, and a rapid breathing rate. Of these symptoms, the breathing rate is controllable. Research has shown that controlling your breathing by purposefully breathing slowly and deeply helps reduce anxiety. Based on this idea, the Serena vest, a wearable prototype solution, aims to assist people in stressful situations like the one above.

The Serena vest is comprised of a fabric stretch sensor situated over the diaphragm that monitors the wearer’s breathing and, more specifically, detects a fast breathing rate. The fabric sensor works by changing its resistance when stretched and generating a range of values that can then be used to trigger an actuation when a particular value is reached. When fast breathing is noted (i.e., a particular value is reached), a signal is sent to actuate the inflatable part of the vest located around the chest; specifically, the signal triggers the air pump and valves that are connected to the inflatable via an air tube. The inflatable inflates and deflates at prescribed intervals that simulate a calmer breathing rhythm. The idea is that this slow inflation and deflation acts as a breathing guide that the wearer can follow to help them calm down in a stressful situation. The inflation/deflation continues for thirty seconds, after which the vest returns to monitoring the breathing rate. The advantage of this vest is that it proactively assists people in real-time situations, providing both an alert to the wearer’s health condition and a physical guide to slower breathing.

You can find more information in the following link: 

http://wiki.textile-academy.org/fabricademy2017/students/cheung/final_project