channel of mindfulness meditation wheel for iPhone

‘channel of mindfulness’ meditation wheel for iPhone by yufan wang

designed by copenhagen-based CIID interaction design graduate yufan wang, ‘channel of mindfulness‘ is a combined dock and application for iPhone that plays and alters sounds to assist in meditative practices. composed of wood and leather in addition to plastic and metal components, the design of the device itself is modeled loosely on tibetan prayer wheels, requiring that users keep focused to spin the accessory arm in a steady rhythm to best hear the sounds produced.

a dedicated iPhone app integrates with a tuning knob along the side of the case, letting users select from one of a number of natural and meditative sounds, and playing static in between. because of the location data sourced natively by the iPhone, users can also access different channels of sound based on their location; for example bells specific to a nearby church, or ocean sounds only when near a body of water.

video explanation and demo of the project

lain over the selected sound channel is a frequency track of one of the six solfeggio frequencies (a controversial series of notes reportedly used in ancient gregorian chants, thought to help meditators reach a mindful state more easily). users must roll the ‘channel of mindfulness’ arm in an even rhythm in order to hear the combination of sounds at its ideal mix; when (s)he spins too quickly or slowly, a subtle change in sound encourages the user to stay focused.

sample frequency track, 512 Hz

sample sound channel, ‘friday’s rain’

‘how-to-use’ app screenshots

from left to right: the iPhone app scanning for sounds; localizing in on a channel; ready to play a selected track

yufan wang elaborates:

‘channel of mindfulness creates a new way to help inexperienced practitioners to discover and integrate mindfulness in their everyday life. the idea is to help people live in the moment through listening and concentrating on some meditative sounds from special environment. by paying closer attention on listening with the assistance of a rolling gesture, a higher stage of mind – mindfulness and awareness will be created.‘

view of the device in use, scanning for sounds

view of the spinning arm

rear view of the dock

profile view with iPad inserted

example map of different location-specific sounds in copenhagen

early design brainstorming

design concept

tibetian prayer wheels served as the visual model for the device

construction process, testing with wheel weight

wiring process

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions’  feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

—

INFINITI digital art competition – CURVED VISIONS designboom in collaboration with INFINITI is offering an international competition asking participants to design spectacular or interactive digital artworks or performances, to be exhibited throughout europe. participation is open to applicants from every country in the world: to professionals, design-enthusiasts, and students.

registration is free and now open, through july 10th, 2012. view the call-to-entry for more details!