Levo | Mental Health Companion

JUNIOR INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDIO PROJECT 

For my final junior studio course I was tasked with creating an innovative concept that enhances an existing experience.

I decided to take on the challenge of anxiety management. My first instinct was to develop an app or wearable, but after going through the design process it evolved into much more than that. I looked at advancements in AI and robotics as a source of knowledge and inspiration for this project, to see where we are now and what can realistically be expected within the next 5-7 years. Most importantly I spoke with those who struggle with severe anxiety, read first hand accounts and research papers, and really got to understand the toll anxiety has on a person.

The result was Levo

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S.. You know that sense of panic and anxiety you feel before going up to present in front of a group of people. You feel like there’s a weight on your chest or like your stomach is tied in a knot. Most people feel that way but are able to brush it off, but imagine not being able to? Speaking with people who suffer from anxiety I learned that anxiety is a weight you carry with you, each day getting a little heavier. 

User Scenario

Upon meeting Levo it greets you with a soft glow and an audible "Hello". It's body feels warm to the touch the same way a mammal does.  

As you go about your day Levo rolls around the house exploring and keeping itself occupied. Levo monitors your anxiety levels through the bracelet you wear on your wrist. If it feels your anxiety levels are up it will start to hang around you. 

PREVENTING PANIC ATTACKS

 If you begin to start feeling extremely anxious or feel an episode come on,  Levo can act as a guide for breathing exercises. Or you can pet and stroke Levo the same way you would a dog, and it will react to your touch like a living creature.

Click below to see animation. 

Quiet Support

Speaking with people who suffer from anxiety and reading first hand accounts, many people mentioned the importance of having support from those people close to them. Having someone simply acknowledge your suffering can be a relief. With Levo Puck I aimed to create a sense security and control over your anxiety when you're away from home. Levo Puck can walk you through breathing exercises using light like Levo Roll, but it can also be a constant but discrete connection between you and your support group. 

PROCESS & IDEATION

My initial sketch that started me down the path of a rolling robot. 

Levo Roll Ideation

I chose a sphere as the basic form for Levo because I wanted an autonomous robot that had very little moving parts. Levo is meant to be hugged and adding any mechanical bits would have taken away from that "softness". Adding personality to a sphere was challenge. For one I couldn't added any detail that would impede Levo's rolling abilities.  

Levo Puck Ideation

Levo Puck needed to look ordinary in the sense that it did not draw attention to itself nor look like medical device. I started with more angular designs but the more I thought about it the less they looked like a natural extension to Levo Roll. The Puck is a Levo that can travel with you, drawing inspiration in form and function from Levo Roll.