HeartSpace

Immersive Biofeedback Environment for Deep Relaxation

Work-related chronic stress is often ignored in our busy workday life, but it has been increasingly causing severe health problems and raising the public cost for stress-related. diseases. Biofeedback technique enables individuals to see inside their body and self-regulate their physiology in a healthy direction. It has been widely considered to be effective in chronic stress management but has long been limited to clinical settings, requiring support from doctors, on-screen interactions, and intrusive sensors worn by users.

This project aims to develop ‘HeartSpace’, an immersive biofeedback system helping individuals reduce stress. HeartSpace couples the user’s physiological data with digital interactive elements, including projections, sounds, and lighting, to create a virtual reality within a physical space.

Within HeartSpace, we explore the design of diverse MR experiences, such as the sensation of floating on clouds or flying through mountain valleys, to evoke relaxation. The user’s first-person perspective of the visual environment and soundscape are controlled by the user’s heart rate variability as a form of biofeedback, guiding the users to achieve deep relaxation through self-regulation.

As a research probe, HeartSpace explores how a physiology-driven environment can support individuals in reconnecting with their bodies to enhance health and well-being.