Getting a grip on stress: Designing smart wearables as partners in stress management

This thesis is motivated by the vision of designing smart wearables as partners for veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Everyday objects are becoming ‘smarter’ with the integration of computational and electronic technologies. It is now possible to start thinking of these objects as ‘intelligent agents’ that can form collaborative relationships to help us with issues that were hitherto impossible. Smart wearables show the potential to be designed as “partners” that are able to continuously monitor bodily and behavioural signals, to involve the human body as part of the interaction, and help the person whenever possible and in ways other products cannot. People with chronic PTSD, who face the challenge of constantly dealing with various everyday stressful situations, provide an interesting case to explore the concept of such partners.