Client: Philips Healthcare
September 2009 - January 2010
Best Concept Award Winner
In general, all people have suffered some form of sleep disturbance. Noise, temperature changes, bad dreams; the human body has an incredible ability to adjust to these conditions and get the sleep it needs. The problem lies when our heads get in the way, and do not allow the mind and body to relax fully after a hectic day. Sleep deprivation causes decrease in performance and concentration. In time, these problems can result in advanced sleeping disorders that require medical attention, as their consequences can be dreadful
Objective
In collaboration with Philips Healthcare, Sense in Sleep division, a research was conducted to understand the overall experience of sleeping and waking up, in order to develop a design concept that helps improve how people rest every day.
Methods
Thorough desk research into the science of sleep helped reveal the major causes of sleep deprivation and disorders, as well as the most common cause: stress. Research also showed numerous relaxing techniques, ranging various disciplines from medical treatments, meditation and yoga. A look into the daily routines of middle-aged women using interviews and "sleep booklets" revealed deeper insights into how women take action when trying to relax before a good night's sleep.
Results
Whisper is a simple device that guides the user through a relaxation exercise just before going to sleep. The product indicates the instructions via audio recordings, heard when placing the concave surface or speaker close to the face or ear. While in the hand, temperature sensors integrated in the device measure the person’s stress level by how warm or cold it is. As previously explained, a person with a considerable amount of stress has less blood flowing into his or her extremities, as most of it is directed towards the brain and other vital organs. The lack of blood flow results in a colder hand, and indicating a high stress level. As the exercise progresses, the user’s hand begins to warm up until the device senses it has reached that person’s ‘relaxed’ temperature. Thus, the product’s smart sensors determine the length of the exercise.
Final Concept presentation video that describes the product caracteristics, qualities and functions, winner of the Best Concept Award for the Sleep Division of Philips Healthcare.
