SPROUTH

Cultivating Growth & Mindfulness in Academic Life

Explore the Project
SPROUTH Device General View

Introduction & Project Details

University students globally face a rising prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression (SAD), significantly higher than the general population. This mental health burden is often exacerbated by intense academic pressures, particularly high self-expectations and the pervasive Fear of Failure (FOF). These factors can lead to perfectionism, self-criticism, and emotional burnout, profoundly impacting well-being and academic performance.

SPROUTH is designed as a direct response to these challenges. It is a bio-inspired, interactive device for assisted meditation, aiming to provide a subtle yet powerful intervention. Our core objective is to help students manage their stress levels, fostering a Growth Mindset where challenges are seen as opportunities for learning, rather than threats. This approach encourages resilience and mindfulness, promoting a healthier, more balanced academic life.

Design Goal:

To create an interactive device that leverages bio-inspiration to facilitate assisted meditation, thereby helping students cultivate a growth mindset and mindfulness to alleviate stress associated with high academic self-expectations and FOF.

Project Team & Institution

Submitted By:

  • Minhazul Islam
  • Tasnim Afra
  • Gabriela Sanchez
  • Mathule Makoma
  • Fahim Rana

Submitted to: Yuqi Hu

Institution: Ningbo Innovation Center, Zhejiang University

Submission Date: January 2nd, 2024

Usage Scenario

SPROUTH is conceived as an adaptive companion for students navigating high-stress academic environments. It provides real-time feedback and personalized reminders to support mental health seamlessly integrated into daily routines.

Intended Location:

Primarily designed for use in university dormitory rooms and workstation labs – key spaces where students study, relax, and engage in academic tasks.

Supported Activities:

  • Studying Sessions: Real-time stress monitoring during intense focus periods.
  • Resting Periods: Encourages relaxation and mindfulness during breaks.
  • Social Interactions: Offers subtle stress-relieving interactions in shared environments.
Academic Life Scenario

SPROUTH integrates seamlessly into a student's academic life.

Bio-Inspiration & Emotional Design

At its heart, SPROUTH's design is a metaphor for growth. It meticulously emulates the natural journey of a seed as it navigates through challenging, rocky soil to eventually blossom into a resilient plant. This powerful narrative is crafted to deeply resonate with students, transforming their perception of academic obstacles.

The emotional design aims to foster a profound connection between the user and this story of perseverance and development. By engaging with SPROUTH, students are subtly encouraged to view their own academic struggles as opportunities for personal growth and learning, instilling a sense of empowerment and hope.

The device's interactions are designed to reinforce this: just as a seed requires consistent care, students learn that sustained effort and attention lead to significant personal and academic milestones.

Bio Inspiration Concept

How It Works: Interactive Growth

SPROUTH's core functionality revolves around its tactile and responsive interactive elements, designed to represent the user's commitment to personal development.

  • Symbolic Planting: Users initiate a meditation session by placing a symbolic "seed" (an RFID-enabled object) into a designated pot on the device. This action triggers the system, beginning a guided experience focused on embracing new academic challenges.
  • Nurturing with a Watering Can: A specially designed watering cup is used to interact with an ultrasonic sensor. As the user moves the cup closer, simulating "watering," the device responds with dynamic visual feedback (LEDs lighting up sequentially) and soothing auditory cues (guided meditation sounds).
  • Visualizing Growth: A unique shape-changing "grass layer" driven by a stepper motor physically unfurls, visually representing the growth stimulated by the user's interaction and consistent effort. This tangible visualization reinforces the concept of progress.
  • System Reset: A simple push button allows users to reset the device, signifying a fresh start or a new meditation cycle, reinforcing the iterative nature of growth.
SPROUTH Interaction Steps

The user interacts with SPROUTH through intuitive, symbolic actions.

User Study & Demonstration

See SPROUTH in action! This video demonstrates key interactions and provides insights from our user study, showcasing how students engage with the device to cultivate a growth mindset.

Product Structure & Components

SPROUTH Product Structure

An exploded view of SPROUTH's internal structure.

SPROUTH is meticulously designed for practicality and aesthetic integration within a student's personal space. Its compact and unobtrusive form factor allows it to fit comfortably on desks in university dormitories or workstation labs, with overall dimensions of approximately 366mm x 166mm x 34mm.

The device's structure is a harmonious blend of bio-inspired design and functional engineering, housing several key components:

  • Grass Layer: A unique, laser-cut paper pattern that visually transforms to represent growth.
  • Motor Assembly: A precise stepper motor integrated with a linear slider, responsible for the dynamic movement of the grass layer.
  • RFID Sensor: Detects the presence and unique ID of the symbolic seed/watering cup, initiating interactive sequences.
  • DFPlayer Mini + Speaker: An integrated sound module providing high-quality audio feedback and guided meditation tracks.
  • LEDs (Green & Blue): Visual indicators that light up sequentially, signifying system status and meditation progress.
  • Arduino Mega 2560: The central microcontroller, serving as the "brain" that orchestrates all component interactions and logic.
  • Reset Button: A tactile switch allowing users to easily reset the system to its initial state.

Technical Overview

The SPROUTH system is engineered to seamlessly integrate multiple electronic and mechanical components, creating a cohesive and interactive experience. The core control is managed by an Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller, chosen for its ample I/O pins and processing power to handle simultaneous operations.

Key Components & Their Roles:

  • RFID-RC522 Module: Operates at 13.56 MHz, reading unique IDs from RFID tags embedded in the watering cup/seed. Connected via SPI.
  • Stepper Motor with Linear Slider: A 200-steps-per-revolution motor with a 2mm lead screw, enabling precise linear movement of the grass platform. Controlled by digital pins.
  • DFRobot DFPlayer Mini Sound Module: Plays audio files (MP3) from an SD card, providing guided meditation and feedback sounds. Communicates via SoftwareSerial.
  • LED Indicators: Multiple LEDs (e.g., green for system status, blue for motor movement) provide sequential visual cues.
  • Push Button (Reset Switch): Connected to an input pin, allowing users to reset the system.

Software & Logic:

The system's logic is programmed in Arduino IDE (C/C++). Key functions include:

  • RFID Scanning:Continuously monitors for card presence and reads UIDs.
  • LED Control:Activates system and motor LEDs in predefined sequences with timed delays.
  • Stepper Motor Control:Moves the linear slider to simulate grass growth based on user interaction.
  • Audio Playback:Triggers specific audio files (e.g., meditation prompts, confirmation sounds).
  • System Reset:Resets all components to their default state upon button press.
Circuit Diagram

Detailed circuit diagram showing component interconnections.

Prototyping & Assembly:

The device housing was developed using Fusion 360 for 3D modeling, and fabricated via 3D printing (PLA filament) and laser cutting (acrylic for the cover). The grass pattern itself was designed in Adobe Illustrator and laser-cut from 80 GSM paper for optimal flexibility. Rigorous individual and integrated testing ensured all components functioned as intended, addressing challenges like RFID interference and motor alignment during the process.

Conclusion & Future Directions

The SPROUTH project culminates in a tangible, bio-inspired interactive device that guides university students on a journey of personal development and resilience. By combining emotional design with intuitive interactive technology, it offers a unique and engaging tool for stress management and the cultivation of a growth mindset.

Our prototype successfully demonstrates the feasibility and potential of this device to positively impact students' academic and personal lives, encouraging a healthier perspective on challenges and fostering mindfulness.

Limitations:

Current limitations include a narrow scope of user-centered design iterations, technical constraints with sensor capabilities, resource limitations affecting feature expansion and user testing, and the absence of a longitudinal study to assess long-term effects. Scalability concerns for widespread deployment were also noted.

Future Research Directions:

  • Extensive User Testing:Conduct in-depth studies with diverse student groups to refine ergonomics, interaction, and aesthetic appeal.
  • Advanced Biofeedback Integration:Explore incorporating heart rate monitoring or brainwave sensors for more personalized stress management.
  • Expanding Interactivity:Develop additional touch-sensitive surfaces or motion detection features to enhance user engagement.
  • Longitudinal Studies:Assess the long-term impact of SPROUTH on students' mental health and academic performance.