Audio Augmentation of Manual Interactions to Support Mindfulness

A wearable device that amplifies sounds of hand interactions in real time was tested in a preregistered in-lab study with 60 participants performing an object exploration task. Audio augmentation increased self-reported state mindfulness, directing attention to auditory properties of objects that are typically overlooked. Behaviorally, participants with audio augmentation interacted with objects longer and showed more trial-and-error exploratory patterns, suggesting increased curiosity. The device offers a sensory-driven approach to support everyday mindfulness, which is often under-supported by existing technologies that focus on formal meditation practices.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Mindfulness is the state of maintaining attention to the present moment with curiosity and openness. Existing mobile technologies to support mindfulness focus on formal practices such as meditation, requiring dedicated space and time. However, everyday mindfulness—a more flexible form of practice woven into routine activities such as washing hands or cooking—remains under-supported. To address this gap, we introduce a wearable device that adopts a sensory-driven approach to foster two key components of mindfulness, attention and curiosity, in everyday contexts. Our device amplifies sounds produced by the user's hand interactions to make them more salient, such as the sounds of hands rubbing together or fingertips sliding across surfaces. By playing back the amplified sounds to the user in real time, the device leads to a fresh perspective on mundane interactions. We conducted a preregistered in-lab study with 60 participants to evaluate the device in an everyday task: object exploration. We found that audio augmentation enhanced self-reported state mindfulness, directing user attention to auditory properties of objects that would otherwise be overlooked. Behaviorally, audio augmentation caused participants to interact with objects for a longer duration than participants who did not experience audio augmentation. We also found that participants exhibited more trial-and-error exploratory behavior patterns with audio augmentation than without, suggesting increased curiosity.