This week has been very fruitful as I have created a few prototypes to explore different ways to presenting my concept and collect as many feedbacks as possible to make a decision on my final presentation of my project. I also have my sound sensor for Arduino this week to finally be able to code and test with the prototypes. It went well.

Prototype 1: The Midnight Garden

A garden which will come alive when user blows into the sensor. This very first prototype explains to my user my concept and the intended experience.

Prototype 2: Lego

This video shows how user can interact with the installation. Each blow will cause a light to lit up beneath the canvas.

Prototype 3: The Climbing Man

Each blow will cause a light to lit up and create a picture of a man climbing up the mountain.

Prototype 4: The desert

A combination of the 3 prototypes ideas. With theme, spotlight and merging the led light with the picture.

Feedbacks

I have done some interview and a survey with people I know. Even though they are not lung disease patients but some interviewees have experience in practising breathing exercises or meditation in their own time. Many expressed interest in my concept however they think breathing exercise is always and should be done in a still and calm state instead of moving around their head to blow into the sensor. Therefore, I have decided to focus the sound sensor in one point for user to target at while doing the breathing exercise. They also expect some indication on the picture to guide them on when to inhale and exhale for how long. For the current week, I have been producing different prototypes and designs to let users choose which one they prefer the most. Each design has their own supporters, hence I decided to create the camel in desert which involved all the good points that people like about the first 3 prototypes.

Prototype 1: Interviewees like the night garden theme and the blinking stars which create a calming effect that people usually want to experience during meditation/doing breathing control.

Prototype 2: Interviewees think the lego figures are cute and felt that the whole presentation seems cool to have light appearing underneath the canvas like a spotlight as you exhale from your mouth

Prototype 3: Interviewees like the idea of starting from almost a plain canvas not knowing what will appear and see lights appearing gradually and form a complete picture when breathing exercise is completed.

Prototype 4: There is a night theme, figures with spotlight, unknown light path and a complete picture when all lights are lit up.

Next...

LED strip needs to be soldered, for extension to make some blinking stars in the sky. The stars will appear when the breathing exercise has been completed as a reward and surprise to the user by further beautifying the whole picture.

Currently, the interactions are simulated. I used the delay functions to make the lights lit up one by one with an interval of 8 seconds. So the delay makes it looks like the light is responding to the breath. The codes will definitely be improved to enhance user experience and make the interactions real to ensure they are doing the breathing exercise correctly. I will also add some elements on the painting to act as a guide for user to control their breathing.