Designing technology promoting increased user body awareness: Using Microsoft Kinect V2

Abstract: This master thesis investigates Kinect V2’s ability to be used as a sensor when designing technology with the aim of increasing the body awareness of a user. With a transition to an increasing number of different devices operating close to the user’s body, an interest in this subject has increased alongside it. These technologies demand a new approach which includes the user’s body into the design. This thesis was conducted at Mobile Life, a research center focused on the field human-computer interaction. Mobile Life uses a new approach based on Somaesthetics to include the complexity of humans in the interaction, mainly by exploring the therapy form Feldenkrais. Building prototypes based on Feldenkrais exercises, integrating technology into them, Mobile Life explores new ideas for fundamental user design. In this thesis the perspective of Somaesthetics is kept, but the functionality of Kinect V2 is used as a base point when investigating how to include the body in technology design. By utilizing research through design and the double diamond model, different prototypes were built to investigate various approaches. Initially three paths were chosen to investigate Kinect V2 from; the characteristics of breathing, heart rate and small movements related to balance. Based on this, four different prototypes were built. The most promising prototypes were then evaluated in user tests and the input was analyzed and used in the next prototype iteration. The thesis concludes that Kinect V2 is a potent sensor when facing the challenge of including the body in the interaction. It has the ability to detect the small movements related to a user’s respiratory cycle. However, the implemented algorithm was not capable of sufficiently mapping the breathing to an actuator with the requirements set up for the prototype. Small movements related to balance were measured without issue and the noise present in the sampled signal was filtered successfully without any delay affecting the prototype performance. Based on the knowledge gained during the master thesis, a new design concept is proposed for future investigation. This concept states that: “To build a system that helps the user reflect on a specific part of their body, the system must highlight or provide a similar sensation as the one felt in the user’s own body.”