VertiSense – Detecting Dizziness Before Instability

Inspiration

Many older adults experience dizziness caused by vestibular issues, illness, or fatigue, yet these symptoms are often difficult to measure objectively. People typically describe dizziness subjectively using phrases like “the room is spinning” or “I feel off balance.”

We were inspired to explore how future sensing technologies could transform this invisible sensory experience into measurable data, helping individuals recognize balance disturbances earlier and reduce fall risk.

What it does

VertiSense is a speculative health tool that detects and visualizes dizziness intensity before instability occurs.

The system introduces a new metric called the Dizziness Intensity Index (DII) that estimates vestibular disturbance levels.

The metric can be conceptually represented as:

$$ DII = f(s, g, h, e) $$

Where:

(s) = posture sway
(g) = gait irregularities
(h) = head orientation changes
(e) = environmental motion signals

Key features include:

Balance Stability Dashboard showing current stability level
Symptom tracking for logging dizziness episodes
Pattern visualization that identifies trends over time
Guided stabilization exercises to help users regain balance

By making dizziness measurable and visible, VertiSense helps users respond earlier and prevent instability.

How we built it

We designed VertiSense as a high-fidelity mobile prototype using Figma.

Our prototype includes:

A dashboard displaying vestibular stability metrics
A symptom logging interface
Assessment and exercise screens for stabilization training
Trend visualizations showing dizziness patterns over time

The design prioritizes:

clear visual hierarchy
large readable metrics
minimal visual clutter
simple navigation

These decisions help ensure the interface remains accessible for older adults.

Challenges we ran into

Designing a system around a sensory experience that cannot currently be directly measured, such as dizziness intensity.
Balancing detailed health data with a simple and senior-friendly interface.
Embedding our Figma prototype into Figma Slides, which required troubleshooting formatting and integration issues to ensure the demo functioned correctly.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of creating a concept that transforms a subjective sensory experience into a measurable signal.

VertiSense demonstrates how dizziness could be visualized through a clear dashboard, helping users understand balance health in a way that is accessible and actionable.

What we learned

This project taught us how speculative design can expand how we understand human sensory experiences.

We also learned the importance of designing health tools that prioritize clarity, accessibility, and preventative wellness, especially for populations who may experience changes in vision, balance, or cognitive processing.

What's next for Team FTC/Flight Team

Next, we plan to explore integrating VertiSense with wearable sensors capable of detecting micro-movements related to vestibular instability.

Future development could include:

real-time balance monitoring
predictive dizziness alerts
caregiver or healthcare dashboards

Our long-term goal is to transform dizziness from a subjective sensation into a measurable health signal that helps people maintain safer mobility and independence.