When we think of well-being, technology doesn’t usually come to mind. However, for technologies dedicated to enhancing well-being, it’s important to consider the senses and the multisensory universe to reassure users and help them relax. In meditation, there are rituals (like a gong at the start) that lead to a state of calm. In well-being tech, these rituals should be linked to the senses. Users will recognize the ambiance (sound, light, smell) to enter their relaxation cocoon.
A Multisensory World is Key to a Holistic Well-being Experience
As well-being becomes increasingly important, well-being technologies are booming to meet growing demand. However, these innovations cannot limit themselves to functional or cutting-edge aspects alone; they must also account for the emotional and sensory dimensions of the experience. The multisensory world is a crucial part of these innovations, offering a holistic and immersive experience that enhances the user’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
This approach engages all the user’s senses to create a complete experience that is relaxing and enjoyable. Technologies that integrate this multisensory element provide significant benefits in terms of relaxation, stress reduction, and even pain relief.
At iYU, we place great importance on the multisensory aspect of our massage robot!
By using robotics, 3D imaging, and AI, iYU® represents a major technological and practical innovation. It allows for human body massage without the need for human intervention. By engaging the senses, we guide the user into a state of well-being—and it works!
Touch: A Fundamental Sense
Touch allows us to perceive physical sensations such as pressure, warmth, softness, and texture. It helps us orient ourselves, manipulate objects, feel emotions, seek reassurance, and communicate through gestures. Emotionally, touch is important as it brings a sense of security and trust. Therefore, touch is a key element of our sensory experience of the world around us and plays a crucial role in our physical and emotional well-being.
Some well-being technologies, such as Percko’s Lyne Up t-shirts, place touch at the heart of their approach because it allows for immersive and soothing multisensory experiences. These technologies can stimulate skin pressure receptors to help reduce anxiety, stress, or relieve pain. Percko’s t-shirts, for example, help users correct their posture through mechanical action using a combination of tensioners and specific weaving, acting as a reminder throughout the day to adjust posture through proprioception.
Additionally, touch can enhance interaction between the user and the technology, creating a more tactile and human experience.
In the iYU® massage experience, touch is central. Users come into contact with various objects and materials such as the welcome screen, remote control, massage table, and iYU® Skin, the membrane that serves as the contact surface between the user and the robot. These textures are carefully chosen to be pleasant and soft, ensuring a comfortable interaction. Touch is also present in the comfort of the headrest and table, the heat added directly to the mattress, and, of course, the feel of the robot’s touch throughout the session. From the very first contact to the final gesture, iYU® massages with smooth, fluid, soft, and continuous movements, wrapping the user in a blanket of comfort.
Sight: The Role of Vision in Well-being Technology Solutions
Sight is just as important as touch, allowing us to perceive light, shapes, colors, and movement. This sense is essential in our daily lives, helping us move safely, perceive, read, and communicate.
In well-being technologies, sight is used to create calming, immersive visual experiences that invite the user to relax as soon as they see the solution. This could be through the shape of the device, its components, textures, images, videos, or drawings. Paying attention to the visual perception of a well-being solution helps stimulate the user’s emotions and create an atmosphere conducive to relaxation.
Sight also plays a key role in building a rich multisensory universe. An intuitive, user-friendly interface with a simple, clean design helps create a relaxing atmosphere while making the technology easy to use. Petit BamBou’s meditation app, for example, offers a clear, structured, serene interface with features that align with its promise of calm and well-being. The meditation exercises are clear and structured, often accompanied by visuals. The app uses sight, particularly through drawings and colors, to provide a reassuring and pleasant experience from the moment it is opened.
Hearing: The Role of Sound in Multisensory Well-being Technology
Hearing is the sense that allows us to perceive sounds. Sound waves travel through the air and enter our ears, causing our eardrums to vibrate. These vibrations are then amplified by the small bones in our middle ear, transmitted to the inner ear, where hair cells convert them into electrical signals sent to the brain. The brain interprets these signals, allowing us to recognize different sounds around us.
In well-being technology, hearing helps users feel better, relax, and unwind through various soundscapes. For example, Sérénity, a phygital solution, helps create a “disconnect bubble” through immersive sound (and visual) environments in virtual reality, promoting relaxation and focus.
With iYU®, we help users build their own relaxation bubble. Through selectable soundscapes and an immersive sound system integrated into the robot, users are immersed in a sound environment that suits their needs, whether it’s nature sounds or a musical background. Each user can find the auditory universe that best promotes relaxation. For you, is it more about ocean waves or a forest ambiance? Jazz or piano?
Smell: The Importance of Scents in a Technological Well-being Solution
Smell is a sense we might not think of when it comes to technological solutions. However, like all other senses, smell plays a crucial role in daily life, helping us detect dangers, appreciate food and drinks, and recognize people. It also stimulates memories; we all have a scent that reminds us of childhood!
Moreover, smell has a significant influence on our emotions and well-being. Certain scents can help us relax by triggering positive emotional responses. For example, lavender is commonly used in essential oils to promote relaxation and reduce stress. Vanilla can help reduce anxiety and boost mood by stimulating dopamine production.
Incorporating smell into a well-being solution helps create a calming, relaxing environment. iYU® carefully developed its olfactory dimension through experimentation, selecting the most suitable fragrances to enhance the multisensory experience. A subtle, pleasant fragrance now complements the sensory experience of iYU®.
Conclusion: The Importance of a Multisensory Universe in Well-being Technology
A well-designed multisensory environment in well-being technology helps users feel good. By engaging all the senses, manufacturers can offer rich, immersive experiences that allow users to unwind and achieve deep relaxation. A thoughtful multisensory universe amplifies the benefits of the technology and provides users with a deeply immersive, appreciated experience.
For Capsix, creating such an environment is key to ensuring users “forget” the technology and focus solely on their relaxation, allowing more people to embrace the experience from the very first session. By engaging all human senses, we effectively guide users into a state of well-being.
The iYU® massage experience is not just about the massage itself. It is a broader, more immersive relaxation experience—a truly multisensory journey!
