Sony Haven: Personal Mindfulness in the Face of Distraction
Sponsor: Sony
Students: Katlyn M.F. Greene, Jacquelin Higgins, Mia Hao, Zifan Zhang
HCDE master's team
Adults in the U.S. have encountered a series of intense and uncontrollable stressors over the past few years including the pandemic and economic uncertainty. Mindfulness, a practice with rich, spiritual traditions and a growing area of stress intervention research, has emerged as a popular coping method. However, practicing mindfulness can be challenging for those who lack the privacy, quiet, and comfort to pursue it. In collaboration with Sony, we explore how IoT and home entertainment devices can be leveraged to seamlessly create immersive mindfulness experiences in co-living environments. We ask, how might we facilitate personal mindfulness in the face of distraction?