6th: Making the Invisible Mechanics of Movement Visible

Inspiration

Movement is something most people take for granted, until it becomes difficult. We were inspired by individuals who struggle with proprioception: children with dyspraxia frustrated by handwriting, stroke survivors relearning daily tasks, and beginners trying to master complex physical skills without real-time feedback.

Proprioception, also sometimes referred to as the sixth sense is body’s internal awareness of position, force, and motion—and is often invisible and unconscious. When impaired, even simple actions become uncertain. We asked: "What if we could make the invisible mechanics of movement visible?"

This question led to 6th, a system designed to introduce a new layer of sensory awareness: Kinetic Awareness.

What it does

In simple terms, 6th makes movement visible.

6th enhances proprioception through augmented reality and wearable feedback. It translates subtle body signals into:

Visual AR overlays (ghost guides, alignment markers, trajectory paths)
Gentle haptic cues for force and correction
Minimal audio prompts for guidance

With 6th, users can perceive: how much force they’re applying; whether their posture is aligned; if their movement trajectory is correct; when your timing is slightly off

6th can be used:

For rehabilitation, it supports independent practice.
For students, it builds confidence.
For athletes and learners, it accelerates skill mastery.

How we built it

6th is designed as a lightweight AR ecosystem centered around:

AR Glasses:

Overlay real-time visual guidance directly into the user’s field of view
Deliver optional audio cues without blocking environmental sound

Wearable Sensors:

Detect limb movement and body alignment
Measure pressure and force
Provide subtle vibration feedback for corrections

The experience was designed using Figma Make with a strong focus on:

Minimal cognitive load
Clear, intuitive overlays
Layered feedback modes (Learning, Assist, Skill)
Context-based guidance that appears only when needed

We prioritized clarity, simplicity, and emotional safety in every interaction.

Challenges we ran into

Preventing Cognitive Overload: AR can easily overwhelm users. We had to carefully reduce visual noise and ensure only essential guidance appears.

Balancing Assistance and Independence: We didn’t want users to rely on the system permanently. Designing gradual assistance reduction was critical.

Designing Across Contexts: Rehabilitation, education, sports, and driving each require different levels of sensitivity and feedback style.

Maintaining Dignity: Assistive technology should feel empowering—not corrective or clinical. That required thoughtful UI and tone design.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Rapid, Feasible Ideation: Explored a completely novel concept through quick, iterative cycles designed for real-world realization
Grounded Creativity: Allowed our imaginations to run wild before applying core UX principles to scope a functional weekend prototype
Industry-Level Collaboration: Collaborated with an industry perspective, pushing our solution past the boundaries of a standard academic project

We’re proud that 6th reframes movement challenges as opportunities for growth.

What we learned

The Curb-Cut Effect: Designing for specific proprioceptive challenges taught us that accessibility isn’t an edge case, creating inclusive solutions ultimately benefits everyone
Intentional Empowerment: Movement awareness deeply impacts mental and physical wellness. Products in this space must be designed not just for function, but to actively build user confidence
Clarity Drives Independence: When dealing with the "invisible" mechanics of movement, complex data must be translated into simple, actionable context
Constraint Breeds Innovation: Scoping our wild, ambitious vision into a feasible weekend prototype forced us to prioritize the most impactful UX features