Breath Back
A wrist-worn breathing aid that guides recovery from panic and hyperventilation.
- Year
- 2025
- Category
- Health & Assistive Design
- Role
- Independent Designer
- Duration
- 13 Weeks
- Type
- Master's Graduation Project
- Tools
- Rhino, Grasshopper, KeyShot, Arduino, 3D Printing, Sewing
- Output
- Functional wearable prototype, pneumatic interaction system and design documentation
One-line Definition
A wearable breathing support system for panic attacks and hyperventilation.
Brief
Breath Back supports users during moments when anxiety and rapid breathing make rational instructions difficult to follow. It translates a 4-7-8 breathing rhythm into pneumatic expansion and vibration, creating guidance that can be understood through the body rather than a screen. The final direction reframes the device as discreet therapeutic jewellery for use at work, in transit or at night.
Problem
Hyperventilation can cause dizziness, chest tightness, numbness and a reinforcing cycle of panic. Existing responses often depend on verbal counting, passive waiting or the unsafe paper-bag method, while dedicated immediate-use products remain limited. The design therefore needed to work when attention, memory and decision-making were already impaired.
Research & Insights
Research focused on panic symptoms, breathing-rate changes and the safety limits of common first-aid methods. Bodystorming and wearable-location studies compared the sensitivity and comfort of the hand, wrist and upper arm, while precedent analysis showed that tactile rhythm can reduce cognitive demand. These findings led to a discreet combination of wrist pressure, arm vibration and a simple trigger on the hand.
Design Opportunity
The opportunity was to design for a body in crisis rather than for a calm, analytical user. A non-verbal, low-step interaction could provide an immediate tactile anchor while preserving privacy in public settings. Jewellery-like styling also offered a way to reduce stigma and support everyday acceptance.
Concept Development
The interaction begins when the user presses the sensor on the back of the hand. The bracelet inflates for four seconds, pauses for seven and deflates for eight, while the upper-arm motor mirrors the same rhythm through rising and falling vibration. Three guided cycles create a repeatable routine that can be stopped with a long press.
Form Development
The form language evolved from a handheld medical object into a wearable jewellery system. A butterfly motif communicates lightness, breathing and transformation, while the vertebra-like chain visually organizes the air tube along the arm. The bracelet combines a white parametric shell, transparent air chamber and metal butterfly detail to balance technology with personal ornament.
Structure & Prototyping
The prototype combines an Arduino controller, two miniature pumps, a three-way valve, a vibration motor and a pressure trigger. A soft PVC air chamber sits inside the printed bracelet shell, while flexible vertebra links route the tubing and allow arm movement. The half-glove carries the trigger sensor and the upper-arm module houses vibration and control hardware.
Testing & Iteration
Material tests examined PVC heat sealing, repeated inflation and leakage, while printed samples evaluated joint spacing, wrist fit and bending range. A two-stage printing process fused parametric dots onto mesh fabric to create the glove surface. Iterations removed voice and light feedback in favour of quieter, more discreet pneumatic and haptic guidance.
Final Design
The final system consists of a pneumatic bracelet, a mesh trigger glove, a vertebra-like tube chain and an upper-arm vibration module. Its visual language resembles experimental jewellery, while the internal sequence delivers a clear and repeatable breathing rhythm. The product is designed to be worn before an episode and activated immediately when symptoms begin.
Use Scenario
In an office, on public transport or during a night-time awakening, the user presses the hand sensor as soon as rapid breathing begins. The bracelet expands and contracts while the arm module vibrates, giving the body a rhythm to follow without demanding visual attention. After several cycles, the user can slow breathing, regain orientation and return to the surrounding task.
Outcome
The project demonstrates how pneumatic interaction can become a quiet, body-led interface for emotional regulation. It also reframed an assistive device as an object that users may willingly wear in public, connecting function with dignity and personal expression. Future development would focus on quieter pumps, a smaller power module, sealed TPU air chambers and optional sensing or app connectivity.