iBreathe

A biofeedback project addressing 'screen apnea,' (when users unconsciously hold or shorten their breath while using computers). iBreathe monitors breathing patterns and dynamically dims or brightens the screen to foster a more organic, ergonomic relationship with machines.

Often when we sit at our computers – hunched over, distracted, or stressed out – we forget to breathe. Linda Stone refers to this common phenomenon as “screen apnea.” Shallow, restricted breathing and poor posture can lead to short-term feelings of anxiety, and long-term health problems! This is where iBreathe comes in. Using processing code, iBreathe helps you calibrate a moderate to deep breath using the dimness function on your (Mac only, for now) computer. When your breathing falls out of the calibrated range – i.e. stops or becomes shallow – your computer screen will dim, obscuring your work. Once you are back in range, your computer will brighten again, and you can keep at it – hopefully feeling more serene.iBreathe runs off of a stretch sensor, an Arduino, and Processing.

iBreathe on Thingiverse↗
Screen Apnea Article↗