Shape-Changing Break Reminders for People with Repetitive Strain Injury

People with Repetitive Strain Injury performing computer work for more than 4-5 hours/day are recommended to take microbreaks (30 sec to 1 min) every hour to reduce their symptoms. This is difficult during work as other things occupy their mind. While notifications can be used as reminders, they adversely impact the affective state and productivity of the user. Shape-changing devices demonstrate potential as they can provide passive awareness. We conducted an ideation session with HCI professionals to identify opportunities for shape-changing break reminders and interactive sessions with people with RSI. We found that the participants struggled to take enough breaks, found notifications inadequate, and modified their primary task to incorporate movement. They demonstrated an aversion to disruption, were receptive to shape-changing break reminders, and desired to emotionally engage with them. This demonstrates the potential of shape-changing break reminders as can be ambient and engender emotions through physical transformation