Ley-Flores, Judith , Bevilacqua, Frederic , Bianchi-Berthouze, Nadia , TAJADURA JIMÉNEZ, ANA
No
International Conference On Affective Computing And Intelligent Interaction
Article
Científica
01/01/2019
000522220800086
Physical inactivity is an increasing problem. It has been linked to psychological and emotional barriers related to the perception of one's body, such as physical capabilities. It remains a challenge to design technologies to increase physical activity in inactive people. We propose the use of a sound interactive system where inputs from movement sensors integrated in shoes are transformed into sounds that evoke body sensations at a metaphorical level. Our user study investigates the effects of various gesture-sound mappings on the perception of one's body and its movement qualities (e.g. being flexible or agile), the related emotional state and movement patterns, when people performed two exercises, walking and thigh stretch. The results confirm the effect of the "metaphor" conditions vs. the control conditions in feelings of body weight; feeling less tired and more in control; or being more comfortable, motivated, and happier. These changes linked to changes in affective state and body movement. We discuss the results in terms of how acting upon body perception and affective states through sensory feedback may in turn enhance physical activity, and the opportunities opened by our findings for the design of wearable technologies and interventions in inactive populations.
sonification; emotion; body perception; physical activity; multisensory feedback; wearables; self-care technologies