Prototyping An Interactive Ambient Plant for Meditation

Paper in proceeding, 2024

This paper introduces the ZenStem, an interactive prototype that facilitates meditation by visually guiding a user's breathing pattern. The ZenStem links users' breathing and heart rate to the irrigation of an indoor plant, as it will water the plant so long as the user can maintain a meditative state. Upon feedback from a pulse-sensing armband that the user's heart rate has risen, it will initialize its light-based breathing guide to help the user re-enter their meditative state. We describe the ideation and prototyping process of the ZenStem, followed by the initial impressions gained from pilot evaluations with potential users. Based on impressions pertaining to the appearance and functionality of the ZenStem, we end by proposing future research directions and design suggestions.