Snap: DIY In Personalized Digital
Health Devices
Will Simm,
Adrian Gradinar
Abstract
Maria Angela Ferrario,
Imagination Lancaster,
Marcia Tavares Smith,
Lancaster University,
Stephen Forshaw,
Bailrgg, Lancaster UK
Jon Whittle
a.gradinar@lancaster.ac.uk
In this paper we introduce the design process of
prototype technologies that can be DIY assembled and
customized to produce highly personalized wearable
technology for anxiety support. We work with adults
diagnosed with autism, and build on prior research that
found each experience of anxiety in people with autism
is unique, so 'one-suits all' solutions are not suitable.
The DIY assembly and personalization approach was
taken as users desire agency and control in all aspects
of the system. In developing a digital wristband
prototype, called Snap, a platform has emerged that
allows the modular design, distributed manufacture and
responsible data curation of customizable digital health
technologies. This is an abridged version of our paper
“Anxiety and Autism: Towards Personalized Digital
Health” [9].
School of Computing and
Communications,
Ian Smith
Lancaster University,
Division of Health Research,
Bailrgg, Lancaster UK
Lancaster University,
w.simm@lancaster.ac.uk
Bailrgg, Lancaster UK
m.a.ferrario@lancaster.ac.uk
i.smith@lancaster.ac.uk
marcia@marciadesigns.co.uk
muveon@gmail.com
j.n.whittle@lancaster.ac.uk
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Author Keywords
Authors’ choice; of terms; separated; by semicolons;
include commas, within terms only; required.
ACM Classification Keywords
H.5.m. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g.,
HCI): Miscellaneous.
Introduction
Most of us suffer from anxiety at some point in life:
only 1 in 20 people in the UK report never being
anxious1. To some, anxiety manifests itself so
powerfully it has a dramatic impact on quality of life.
This is particularly true when anxiety is associated with
other conditions such as Autism. Autism is said to affect
an individual’s ability to communicate and interact
socially with others and can result in profound isolation
and anxiety with potentially devastating effects [1]. Our
research focuses on anxiety in those diagnosed with
autism and builds on two fundamental lessons learned
from existing autism research in HCI [2, 3, 7, 8]: first,
the uniqueness of anxiety experiences and the
impracticality of “one suits all” solutions; second, endusers’ desire for agency and control on the system:
from aesthetics, to data capture and its use.
This paper describes a series of workshops and codevelopment process with end users taking a hands-on
approach in the design and personalization of wearable
devices. To read more, see Simm et al. [9].
Wearables Workshops
The Incredible Wearables workshop (WP1) was
designed to create a relaxed space and inspire
participants with the freedom, creativity, and
enthusiasm to come up with their very own technology
inventions or incredible wearables. During the following
Personal Wearables workshop (WP2) we narrowed the
design scope by inviting participants to construct their
previous inventions from a toolkit of parts, or design
tiles, mimicking real electronics, to be joined together
1
http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/content/assets/PDF/publication
s/living-with-anxiety-report.pdf
using wooden sticks. Finally, the Personal Interactions
workshop (WP3) expanded the design focus with an
idea generation process, which explored meaningful
ways to interact with a range of prototype wearable
devices.
A total of 13 lo-fi prototypes were constructed, 7 were
from those with autism and 6 from supporters. Most
interestingly, 7 of these prototypes were designed to
directly address stress and anxiety even though the
facilitators avoided prompting for anxiety. After the
workshop we classified the prototypes as shown in
Figure 1, into devices which automated capture of
signals and those that required an intentional
interaction.
The wearable devices designed by our participants in
the workshops are used to inform the design of a
toolkit which would enable the construction of a range
of personal devices, rather than for individual
translation into working devices. The devices can be
broadly assigned two functions: alerts based on
automatic capture of physiological and environmental
data, and tactile interaction (use of bubble wrap, tactile
jewellery etc.). Prior research has comprehensively
investigated the aspect of automatic capture of
physiological and environmental signals in numerous
health conditions; we find there is an opportunity to
explore tactile intentive interactions where the user is
aware of their actions.
INTRO OBJECT
ARTEFACT CREATED
MAIN FUCTION
Shi ny De-­‐stresser De-­‐s tres s
metal Neckl a ce Object Object Detector
a voi da nce
Comi c Sound De-­‐s tres s
ha t
Blocker
Fur
Time to Phys i ca l dance
eng.ment
Ti ns el
Sonic Object Whiskers
a voi da nce
Ca ndy Take a De-­‐s tres s
s tick
Breath
3DP Telepathic Speed s l eep
pen
wri ting
Ba s i l TempSense De-­‐s tres s
pl a nt
Ca bl e AMOK
De-­‐s tres s
tidy
Stres s Bubble De-­‐s tres s
ba l l
bracelet
Sa nd Grounding Mental pa per
ring
eng.ment
Ei ffel Contact Soci a l Tower
glasses
eng.ment
Bubbl e Acoustic De-­‐s tres s
wra p
Inhibitor
ASPECT
Trigger
Response
Part of Body
Signal
Sound
(i ) Ta ctil e
Wri s t
Objects
(a ) Vi bra tion Wri s t
Sound
(a ) S ound Ca ncel l i ng
(a ) B i rd S ong
Ea r
Motion
Ches t, n eck, s houl ders
Foot
Phys i ca l (a ) Vi bra tion
object
Soci a l
(a ) S ens ory s na ck
Ches t
Hea d, h a nds
(a ) S MS, di s tra ct
(i ) Ta ctil e
(i )Ta ctil e Soci a l
Sound
(a ,i ) Vi s ua l s , SMS
(a ) S ound Ca ncel l i ng
Body temp.
Pul s e, HR
Wri s t, w a i s t
Wri s t, e a r
Wri s t
EEG
Fi nger
Hea d
Ambi ent
Figure 1– The Incredible Wearables – (a) stands for automated
and (i) for intentive.
Snap Device
The first device used as a development case study for
the toolkit is a stretch wristband called Snap, shown in
Figure 2. Snap is designed to be customizable
physically, electronically and in terms of software
functionality. Open source software and widely
available ‘maker’ hardware was used along with DIY
techniques such as crochet and 3D printing to build in
customizability and DIY manufacture. This was
intended to give the devices the widest possible reach:
people can make their own.
Figure 2 Customizable Snap Device. Crochet wristband
contains conductive cord that changes resistance when
stretched, and connects via snap fasteners to a 3D printed pod
containing batteries and microcontroller with Bluetooth 4.0.
A minimum-viable prototype was quickly made with a
battery, microcontroller and crochet wristband and
taken to WP2 for feedback from participants, who
informed the modular version used in a later study
period, shown by Figure 2. The Snap device records a
timestamp each time the band is stretched, and this
usage data is downloaded via the reflection platform for
later reflection and discussion.
DIY and Bespoke Wearable Devices
WP2 showed participants how they could assemble
their ‘incredible wearables’ using a kit of components.
Each participant was able to translate their imaginary
object into realistic components, showing how a kit of
parts could be used in future DIY health applications.
By starting from the imaginary and moving to the
realistic, participants were allowed to explore the
extremes rather than be restricted by what they know
to be possible.
The degree of DIY involved in making DIY health
technology - from simple customisation of aesthetics to
modifying source code will be highly variable and
individual-dependant. It is unlikely our group would
modify source code themselves, however the WP2
demonstrates the potential a future DIY health
wearable kit holds with suitable facilitation, and would
reduce the barriers to making [10].
The participants (their real names have here been
changed) chose to personalise Snap by wearing it in a
number of ways beyond as a wristband - clipped to the
belt loop of jeans, high up on the arm, carried in a bag
or pocket. Part of the reason was that the device itself
was bulky and unattractive (Davina - “looks like a
bomb”), nevertheless participants continued to use
Snap as they saw benefits in it: Louis: “I was a bit
excited because usually on a Saturday there’s some
good programmes [] so that’s why I wore it to calm me
down a bit”, “I wore it at work because I found out that
somebody was leaving [] and I wore it here, to calm
me down a bit”. The Snap form-factor, although more
adaptable than other tactile prototypes [8], still poses
challenges for being repurposed. The range of
wristbands we created for the study was not wide
enough; our users wanted further choice and had their
own clear ideas about aesthetics of the device.
A major criticism of wearable activity tracking devices
is that they usually show initial promise and promote
behaviour change (eg. increased physical activity) in
the short term, but are typically worn only for 2 months
and then abandoned with the user returning to former
behaviour [4, 6]. The approach we have taken is not to
encourage behaviour change but to facilitate an
understanding and management of anxiety through
device interactions and data capture. The process of
designing and building these wearable devices has
enabled our participants to discuss experiences of
anxiety in a way their support indicated they had never
before articulated - that in itself is a valuable process.
In addition, once the process of learning and
understanding is completed, the device itself may
become redundant, and components can be passed on,
re-used and repurposed for other people’s needs.
Perhaps as found with DIY-AT, DIY wearable devices
will have longer sustained engagement [5] than off the
shelf devices.
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