Biofeedback Meditation Anxiety Stone

Going back to school can be anxiety inducing and very stressful for students all around the world. I have siblings who have just started high school and they tell me about all the stressful events that happen in their typical school day. I wanted to create something small that you could bring with you to school, work, etc that would help you manage your emotions.

Software - Fusion 360

Grabcad.com - for hand model

What calms people down? There are many types of fidget toys out there. But do they calm you down or just keep you entertained? What if there was a product that could help you with tactile sensation soothing? Anxiety can also produce spiraling thoughts or over stimulation. It can be hard to bring yourself back to the present. What if there was a product that could guide meditation?

After talking with my siblings about their school experiences, I gathered information on what triggers their stress and anxiety. We also discussed how they cope and calm themselves down. I was able to ask what shapes, feelings, colors, and textures have a calming effect on them. One of my siblings said, "I like to fidget with something, rub it, or squeeze it. If the thing opens, like Airpods, I'll open and close it. I like something small that I can hold in my hand but I lose things a lot."

I'm taking my inspiration from rocks and pebbles you may find in rivers or beaches. The soft rounded edges are very soothing. Personally, I find that looking at them can relieve stress and anxiety. I also got inspiration from the softness of glowing orbs. I think that these lights will work well for breathing exercises by following a pulsating glow.

Here are my initial sketches I put in my sketchbook to get the ideas flowing. It was very quick and dirty but it got my ideas on the page with a goal in mind. I wanted a small handheld device that was calming to hold and had a biofeedback ring on the surface. The user would hold the stone in two hands by their thumbs on the feedback ring. The stone would then read your bio-signs. The stone will pulse with a soft glowing light from the center of the stone, helping you slow your breaths, relax, and lower your heart rate. I imagined this to be your little stress relief coach stone.

I wanted to emulate a soft, calming river stone, something that would be calming to hold and could be a tranquil experience. I used Fusion 360's "Create Form" feature to easily create a flat, round solid.

I sampled with different stone thicknesses, size, ring size, ring width, and light softness and glow to get the right fit.

I wanted something that was inviting and calming to look at. I wanted a comfortable smooth finish so that it wouldn't be sensory overloading. The dimple in the middle represented a rubbing stone for you to rub away at.

I used Fusion 360's Rendering Environment to get these helpful renders. The pose-able hand model I found on Grabcad.com was really useful to show scale.

I had a very insightful and fun experience with this design. Designing something with purpose and drive for wanting something better for your family is very fulfilling. Even though this product isn't real, my siblings wished it was. They all felt having this in their hands during a hard stressful school experience would make it a whole lot better.