New device for stroking hands replaces a person and relieves stress

Past research has shown that techniques such as meditation and breathing exercises reduce levels

perceived stress and anxiety.The problem is that then the person needs it from work or other activities, and this is not always possible. To solve the problem, scientists have developed a passive stress reduction device, a motorized wearable device that strokes the arm.

The gadget is mounted on top of the forearm.The device uses springs and an electric drive to slowly move a piece of synthetic fur back and forth across the skin. In this way, the gadget imitates human affective touch.

This relaxation technique has already been testedin laboratory conditions and it has proven its effectiveness. In previous experiments, volunteers manually stroked the subjects' skin with a soft brush. This significantly reduced the stress of the subjects.

In a blind study of 24 volunteerswore the device while performing an adapted version of the Trier Social Stress Test, which consists of a series of cognitive tasks. Half of the group wore the gadget, while the other 12 people did not.

Gadget photo. Author: Yiran Zhao

Although physiological responses such as frequencyheart rates were similar in both groups throughout the experiment, control subjects had approximately 50% lower levels of perceived stress and anxiety when they performed stressful cognitive tasks. The findings are consistent with previous studies using brush strokes by ordinary people.

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On the cover: gadget photo by Yiran Zhao