SomaSense

Inspiration

SomaSense was inspired by a common challenge in modern digital life: many people spend long hours sitting in front of screens and gradually lose awareness of their bodies. Over time, habits such as slouching, forward head posture, and shallow breathing develop almost unconsciously. These patterns often remain unnoticed until discomfort or stiffness appears.

At the same time, humans naturally possess internal sensory systems such as interoception and mechanoreception, which detect body movement, tension, and pressure. However, these signals typically operate below conscious awareness. This project was motivated by the idea that technology could help bridge the gap between the signals our bodies produce and what we are able to consciously perceive. SomaSense explores how subtle bodily signals can be surfaced to support healthier daily habits and greater body awareness.

What it does

SomaSense is a body-awareness system designed to help people understand how their bodies contract, shift, and lose presence during everyday activities.

The system consists of a lightweight wearable sensor placed along the upper spine and a mobile application that interprets posture and breathing signals. The wearable detects subtle changes in body alignment, movement, and breathing-related expansion. The app then translates these signals into simple body states such as Open, Folded, Guarded, or Recovering.

Instead of correcting posture directly, SomaSense provides gentle prompts and visual feedback that help users recognize their posture habits in real time. Over time, this awareness can help users reduce physical discomfort, develop healthier posture patterns, and feel more present and confident in their daily environments.

How we built it

We began by defining the problem space around sedentary lifestyles and posture-related discomfort. From there, we developed a speculative system combining a spine-mounted wearable sensor with a mobile interface for feedback and reflection.

The wearable concept focuses on detecting upper-body posture shifts and breathing-related movement. The mobile app translates these signals into simplified body-state patterns that users can quickly understand. We designed the interface to prioritize clarity and minimal interruption, using gentle nudges and short body resets rather than constant notifications.

We also developed several everyday use scenarios including walking, desk work, and stressful social situations. These stories helped guide the design of the feedback system and demonstrate how SomaSense could integrate into normal daily routines.

Challenges we ran into

One challenge was balancing useful feedback with notification fatigue. Too many prompts could interrupt users or make them overly self-conscious about their posture. To address this, we focused on designing subtle, supportive nudges that appear only when sustained body contraction patterns are detected.

Another challenge involved interpreting body signals responsibly. Posture and movement data cannot fully represent emotional or psychological states, so we avoided making strong assumptions about how users feel. Instead, the system focuses on observable physical patterns and encourages users to interpret their own experiences.

We also considered wearability challenges, since placing a sensor along the spine must remain comfortable and unobtrusive during everyday activities.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

One accomplishment we are proud of is designing a system that reframes posture correction as body awareness rather than discipline. Instead of telling users to sit up straight, SomaSense helps users notice subtle changes in their body state and respond naturally.

We are also proud of developing a clear interaction model that translates complex sensor signals into simple body states. This approach allows users to understand their body patterns without needing to interpret technical data.

Finally, the everyday use scenarios helped us demonstrate how the system could support both physical comfort and psychological presence in real-life situations.

What we learned

Through this project, we learned that posture and body awareness are deeply connected to emotional and social experiences. Physical signals such as tension or contraction can influence how people feel and how they present themselves in social environments.

We also learned that meaningful behavioral change often comes from small, consistent awareness moments rather than large interventions. Technology can support this process by making subtle body signals more visible and understandable.

Most importantly, we learned that wellness technology should support users gently rather than control or judge their behavior.

What's next for SomaSense

The next step for SomaSense would be to further explore the technical feasibility of posture sensing and breathing detection through wearable hardware. Future iterations could experiment with improved sensor accuracy and more comfortable wearable designs.

We would also like to conduct user testing with sedentary workers and students to better understand how people respond to body-awareness feedback in real environments.

In the long term, SomaSense could expand beyond posture to explore broader forms of embodied awareness, helping people develop a deeper understanding of how their bodies respond to stress, movement, and social situations.