Padl - audio-based virtual nature therapy

Do czego to służy

Padl is a novel wellbeing tool inspired by rowing that uses movement-responsive audio to deliver gentle exercise, mindfulness and virtual nature therapy. It addresses the problem of diminishing and unequal nature access to improve mental and physical health.

Twoja inspiracja

I started this project aiming to make rowing more accessible. I quickly realised, through interviewing rowers, that the magic of rowing comes from spending time out on the water in nature. Research shows that nature improves mental and physical health, but as global urban populations rise, access is diminishing, especially for minority groups. Public Health England estimated in 2020 that adequate green space access could save the NHS £2.1 billion annually. I discovered evidence showing virtual nature can provide similar benefits and set out to capture the magic of rowing in a tool that provides equal access to these benefits for all.

Jak to działa

For those unable to access nature due to issues of time, cost, physical mobility, weather or safety, virtual nature presents a solution. Research shows it has similar benefits to the real thing, particularly if immersive, interactive and goal oriented. Padl delivers such an experience with audio only. When users start a session on the app, they are placed in an imaginary rowing boat, surrounded by a beautiful 3D nature soundscape and flowing water. They are asked to mime a rowing stroke, which is detected by an accelerometer on the optional handle unit or their phone, triggering the sounds of their oars splashing through the water. Crucially, this movement-responsive audio greatly increases immersion, and also incorporates gentle exercise, adding to the benefits of the therapy. As the user falls into a regular rhythm of strokes, the repetitive motion acts like a mantra to help them achieve a sense of calm as they lose themselves in the virtual world.

Proces projektowania

Initially, I aimed to make rowing more accessible and design a compact, affordable rowing machine. However through research with rowers I found the benefits of rowing went beyond the exercise itself, and for most, the true magic came from being out on the water. I pivoted, trying to capture that outdoor rowing experience in an accessible indoor format. I hypothesized that this could provide a unique, complementary combination of mindfulness, gentle exercise and nature therapy. Desk research revealed that interactivity and immersiveness would enhance the virtual nature benefits. Interviews also showed that having something to do would lower barriers to mindfulness. I tested prototypes with and without movement, sounds, video and VR, and asked testers to rate the experience (fig1). The best combination was a natural soundscape and rhythmic oar sounds they could mime along to, but no visual element as this was distracting and broke immersion. I refined the prototype by making the oar sounds movement-responsive, first manually, and then automatically with an arduino (fig2). I received feedback from some that a physical handle and light resistance would help, so prototyped this, and an accompanying app (fig3). This culminated in my final prototype, seen in the video above.

Jak to się różni

Padl is unique in delivering a scalable, accessible combination of mindfulness, gentle exercise and virtual nature therapy. While there are many ways to practise mindfulness and meditation (apps like headspace, classes etc) interviews showed that many find being alone with their thoughts deeply uncomfortable or boring. For this group, having a goal in performing rowing strokes and the natural soundscape to gently hold attention can greatly increase acceptability without compromising benefits (fig4). There are also existing virtual nature tools. Some offer passive audio and/or video of nature (e.g. Calm, Portal) but these lack interactivity, which is necessary to enhance the benefits of virtual nature, and so are often just used as background noise. Others used in clinical settings employ virtual reality headsets, which are inaccessible to most and are resource-intensive to develop for. Padl can use just a smartphone and earphones, making it widely accessible.

Plany na przyszłość

The MVP developed on arduino has been tested with a number of users and shown positive results in wellbeing and satisfaction questionnaires. Next I will refine the smartphone app to deliver the full experience, allowing me to test the intervention at a larger scale. I intend to validate the efficacy of Padl using clinical surveys in a more formal trial to gather real-world evidence to support adoption in healthcare and/or as a consumer product. I will take a user-centred approach to codesign the fully featured app, maximising acceptability for groups such as the elderly and socioeconomically deprived who stand to benefit most from Padl.

Nagrody