Brighten Up is a tool intended to assist a user with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in exercising in their mornings. According to the Yale School of Medicine SAD affects 0.5 to 3 percent of the US population or around ten million people. The traditional form of treatment, a lightbox, simulates the sun's light, however most options for a lightbox are bulky and unattractive, disincentivizing the user to keep one on hand. Brighten Ups sleek and attractive design, paired with features customizable to the users needs helps to overcome the hurdles of SAD.

Project Statement

Client Profile

• Ryan wants a tool to encourage him to get out of bed and exercise in the mornings.

• While he does fine the the summer and spring the onset of winter mixed with the lack of light

  decreases his motivation. 

• A personalized tool will assist him in getting up in the morning and incentives forming habits around exercise.

Thirteen million americans are affected by SAD (NIH). Individuals with SAD are characterized by a set a predictable symptoms: decreased energy level, weight gain and withdrawal from social activities. People with SAD sleep 2.5 more hours in the winter time then the summer on average. There is also a measurable increase in melatonin production within the patient.

Research

Summary

Precedents

Huggable SAD Lamp, Rebecca Erde:

A comfortable lamp for SAD that encourages you to keep it close.

Wake Up Light, Phillips:

Lighting emulating the suns rise helps you wake up feeling awake and rested.

The Everyday Calendar, Simone Giertz:

An innovative way to keep track and form habits.

Sketch Exploration

Prototype 1

This first prototype is an soothing organic shape intended to be attached on your beds headboard.

The inbuilt LEDs imitate the sky natural colors, changing throughout the day. It functions as a clock intended to give the user a greater sense of awareness of the time of day and imitate the sky in the summers.

Prototype 2

This second prototype is in the shape of an egg. The brightness of the light emitted from the egg varies with the users breathing pattern. When the user takes a breath in, the egg brightens, when they breath out it darkens. The intent of this is to slow the users breathing by giving them greater awareness of it. The light is also the same color as traditional SAD light helping with the disorder.

Prototype 3

This works like prototype utilizes an ultrasonic sensor to change the behavior of the LEDs. It would be built into an alarm clock that would be wall mounted on the wall opposite from the users bed. In order to turn the alarm off the user has to stand in front of the alarm clock for a set amount of time, forcing them to both get out of bed and stay upright.

Final Photos

Use Diagram

Technical Diagram

Tab

Tab

LED

LED

9V Battery

Arduino Uno

Pushbutton

Pushbutton

Ultrasonic Sensor

Acrylic

Wiring Diagram

Final Photos

Final Video