Sine Health is a wearable system developed for my final major project at Brunel University. It helps emergency service workers regulate their breathing under stress using discreet haptic feedback. By guiding users toward their optimal breathing rate, the device improves heart rate variability - a key marker of resilience and recovery. The project combined user research with police officers, prototyping of multi-motor haptic arrays, and testing of biofeedback methods to create a practical tool for high-pressure environments.
Police officers and other emergency service workers are required to cycle rapidly between moments of rest and intense stress. The unpredictable and often traumatic nature of their work places sustained pressure on their bodies and minds, leaving them vulnerable to burnout, reduced performance, and long-term mental health challenges.
Existing therapeutic device solutions take up audio or visual sensory channels, limiting their use during activities like driving, training, or exercising. Most devices require constant attention and can't provide subtle, continuous guidance for stress management.
Sine Health monitors heart rate and calculates the optimal breathing rate for increasing heart rate variability (HRV), Improving resilience to stress and recovery from trauma.
Reduction in perceived stress
Improvement in HRV scores within 5 minutes
Decrease in heart rate within 5 minutes
Results from lab-conditions study with 4 participants using prototype devices.
