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Image by nibras al-riyami

Mandala game prototyping

Context

Research Objectives

Insights informed

This project was developed as a game to improve the attention span of those playing it. The Mandala design has been traditionally implied in meditation, so we set out to explore its applications in a confluence of engineering and psychology.

  • Study the feasibility of using the mandala design to enhance attention span in children and adults

Foundational research in the realm of cognitive psychology and neuroscience. 

Research Questions

Is it feasible to use a mandala as a tool to study the attention span of a person?

How reliable is a single-electrode Neurosky device for behavioral research?

Can the mandala design be used to study the attention span of a person?

Methodologies

Physical prototyping

In-person observation

Process & Limitations

5 participants

Children and adults

Different walks of life

In-person observation

The mandala design was printed out on a large board and its 8 layers were lit up using LED light bulbs. The participant wore an EEG headgear designed to provide an output of the levels of attention or meditation of the participant based on brain waves. The EEG output was routed through an Arduino microcontroller to the Mandala, and the higher levels of attention lit up more layers of the Mandala. The study was exploratory in nature and needs further validation, but the Mandala served dual purpose - a readout of the EEG and a feedback mechanism for people to provide more attention to the task at hand, which was to focus on the Mandala.

Impact

  • Helped stakeholders understand principles of psychology and how they can be applied to improving people's lives

  • Make a pitch to secure funding for the prototype and develop it into a scalable product

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