Xhale, A Senior Thesis By Lucas McBath

Abstract

Anti-anxiety applications have been appearingeverywhere recently. Apps like Calm, Headspace,and Ambi Pro all claim that they can helprelieve stress, make you a happier person, help withyour self-esteem, or even help you forgive peoplewho have wronged Anti-anxiety applications have been appearingeverywhere recently. Apps like Calm, Headspace,and Ambi Pro all claim that they can helprelieve stress, make you a happier person, help withyour self-esteem, or even help you forgive peoplewho have wronged you. These all sound like greatthings, but what’s the science behind these apps?I’ve decided to explore the inner workings of theseapps, as well as create my own app using similartechniques with my own creative spin on things. Iam creating an application, called Xhale, for smartphones that will help the user control their breathingwith the help of a game. The user will breathe intothe microp Anti-anxiety applications have been appearingeverywhere recently. Apps like Calm, Headspace,and Ambi Pro all claim that they can helprelieve stress, make you a happier person, help withyour self-esteem, or even help you forgive peoplewho have wronged you. These all sound like greatthings, but what’s the science behind these apps?I’ve decided to explore the inner workings of theseapps, as well as create my own app using similartechniques with my own creative spin on things. Iam creating an application, called Xhale, for smartphones that will help the user control their breathingwith the help of a game. The user will breathe intothe microphone of their device, allowing the app tosense when there is an inhale and when there is anexhale. The app will use this breathing data to progressthe user’s character through the levels of thegame, giving the user rewards at each milestone. Themain idea is to trick the user into controlling theirbreathing through a fun little game, therefore hopefullycalming their anxiety. If the app does its jobcorrectly, the user will forget that the app is meant tocalm them down and will just have fun playing thegame instead, leaving the experience with a sense oftranquility and satisfaction. hone of their device, allowing the app tosense when there is an inhale and when there is anexhale. The app will use this breathing data to progressthe user’s character through the levels of thegame, giving the user rewards at each milestone. Themain idea is to trick the user into controlling theirbreathing through a fun little game, therefore hopefullycalming their anxiety. If the app does its jobcorrectly, the user will forget that the app is meant tocalm them down and will just have fun playing thegame instead, leaving the experience with a sense oftranquility and satisfaction. you. These all sound like greatthings, but what’s the science behind these apps?I’ve decided to explore the inner workings of theseapps, as well as create my own app using similartechniques with my own creative spin on things. Iam creating an application, called Xhale, for smartphones that will help the user control their breathingwith the help of a game. The user will breathe intothe microphone of their device, allowing the app tosense when there is an inhale and when there is anexhale. The app will use this breathing data to progressthe user’s character through the levels of thegame, giving the user rewards at each milestone. Themain idea is to trick the user into controlling theirbreathing through a fun little game, therefore hopefullycalming their anxiety. If the app does its jobcorrectly, the user will forget that the app is meant tocalm them down and will just have fun playing thegame instead, leaving the experience with a sense oftranquility and satisfaction.