I believe that paced breathing cues
that help us breathe fully and at long intervals will be especially helpful in
augmented reality (AR). For those who don’t know, augmented reality usually
takes the form of glasses or a visor that overlays digital content onto
real-life environments. So you can imagine wearing these glasses and having a
little icon in the corner helping you to pace and optimize your breathing
pattern. But first, what is paced breathing?
Paced breathing apps also known as breath
metronomes are a therapeutic modality designed to guide users to breathe deeply
and slowly. The core functionality centers around a visual indicator that rises
and falls, setting the pace for inhalation and exhalation. This simple yet
effective mechanism helps users achieve proper diaphragmatic breathing technique,
extend exhalation duration for enhanced relaxation, and develop mindful
breathing habits. I usually recommend that a beginner set their app for 5
second inhalations and 7 second exhalations so that they can teach their diaphragm
to contract slowly and expansively. Try breathing this way, a few minutes of
this can lead to noticeable relaxation. I wrote a whole book explaining why
this is helpful which can be read for free at programpeace.com. I also have a
free paced breathing app called Program Peace that is available on iPhone and Android.
I outline its features and settings here:
https://www.observedimpulse.com/2022/08/try-free-program-peace-paced-breathing.html
However, the functionality and ease
of use would be improved in AR. In fact, I think breathing guidance could be a widely
used feature in AR in the not-so-distant future. This is because augmented
reality platforms may enhance the effectiveness of guided breathing exercises
and create an immersive, hands-free experience that seamlessly integrates into
users' natural field of vision.
I use the Program Peace app daily,
but I often must find a way to set up or situate my phone. An AR implementation
removes the need to focus on a separate screen, allowing users to maintain
their natural posture and gaze while performing breathing exercises. The visual
guide could be positioned at a comfortable distance and height in the user's
field of view, creating a more natural and less distracting experience. Unlike
traditional mobile or desktop applications, an AR version would allow users to
maintain awareness of their surroundings. This makes the application more
versatile and suitable for use in various settings, from office environments to
outdoor spaces. The AR implementation eliminates the need to hold, place, or
interact with a physical device, allowing users to continue with other
activities where handling a device would be impractical including during
meditation or yoga.
Unlike a device that may not be
touching the body, an AR app would have access to biometric data. It could use
a microphone or use gesture recognition to monitor breathing. It could also integrate
with wearable devices (like smartwatches) to monitor heart rate or oxygen
levels and display real-time metrics in AR. This would allow the system to
determine the user’s current breathing dynamics and attempt to gradually bring
them in line with a more healthy rhythm unlike modern apps that attempt to
force the user into a rigid breathing rate. It’s recommendations for breathing
rate could also adaptively scale to match the user’s activities as heart and
breathing rate increase due to external demands.
Gesture recognition cameras in the
AR glasses could also help recognize suboptimal postures that stifle the
diaphragm and full inhalations. Thus, the app could coach users to adopt
optimal breathing postures, such as sitting upright and relaxing their
shoulders, by providing visual posture corrections or reminders. Thus, enhanced
awareness of body positioning could help users achieve deeper, more effective
breathing.
I don’t expect that a small bar in
the corner of the screen would interfere with depth cues or environmental
awareness and many people could see it as a helpful addition to their AR’s
heads up display (HUD). The visual design should be optimized for high contrast
allowing visibility in different lighting conditions. It should also adapt to
the lighting (bright vs. dim) and auditory (loud vs quiet) conditions of the
environment. Minimalistic design elements could help prevent clutter in the AR
space when only the rate functionality is being used. But then the app could be
expanded by selecting an icon so that the user can use other app features such
as tracking their data, and using other options. The rate and other settings
could be changed by the user using voice or gaze-based controls. The app should
also include session duration tracking, breath pattern analysis, progress
monitoring and integration with other health and wellness platforms.
The experience could be gamified, offering
AR breathing exercises with goal-oriented challenges (e.g., maintaining a
steady breathing pattern for a set duration). Rather than being a 2D experience
the metronome could be rendered differently to each eye creating a soothing 3D
experience such as an expanding the contracting sphere that breathes with the
user. It could also support shared, multiuser AR spaces where one could breathe
in sync with friends, family, or a community for an online social wellness
experience. Also using multi-sensory inputs
(visual, auditory, and tactile vibration via a wearable) could create a more
profound calming effect. Because AR provides a multi-sensory
experience, it could help users disconnect from their immediate environment,
creating a deeper sense of presence and relaxation. Furthermore, choosing
customizable environments, such as a serene forest, flowing waterfalls, or even
floating in space, could make the experience feel more engaging and meditative.
As far as biometrics is concerned,
there are lots of options. AR eye tracking could be used to monitor gaze
direction which could help the system provide real-time feedback if the user’s
focus strays from the breathing guide for too long or to help adapt visuals or
prompts based on where the user is looking. Eye tracking could also be used to measure
pupil dilation and blink rate. Because these are correlated with stress, they
could be used to make tailored breathing adjustments. Many AR glasses are
capable of tracking facial expressions which could also be used to monitor
stress. A paired wearable like a watch could keep track of heart rate
variability (HRV) skin conductance (galvanic skin response), and body
temperature, additional key markers of stress. Information about breathing rate
and oxygen saturation (SpO2) could help the system determine if the user is
hyperventilating or breathing too shallowly.
Overall, porting a breath metronome
application to AR could represent a significant advancement in breathing
exercise technology. The AR implementation addresses several limitations of
traditional screen-based applications while introducing new possibilities for user
interaction and feature enhancement. The hands-free, immersive nature of AR
makes it an ideal platform for this type of wellness application, potentially
increasing user engagement and exercise effectiveness.
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