ENGS 89/90 Reports

Year of Graduation

2024

Project Advisor

Wesley Marrero

Instructor

Fridon Shubitidze

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

Stress has long been recognized as an intrinsic part of military service, and strategies for dealing with stress contribute directly to the performance, health, and longevity of our service members (Kreager 1986). According to the stress buffer theory, mindfulness meditation enhances the resilience of its practitioners to stressful situations (Creswell 2014). Therefore, mindfulness meditation is a tool that may be used by military members to improve both their performance and quality of life. Working with ZenimalTM, a company that produces screenless meditation devices, our team developed a discreet, portable meditation device designed for the needs of service members and veterans. The final device design is a handheld model with a rectangular shape, slanted edges, and navigation buttons on the front face. This model incorporates a minimalist, screenless design to maximize its ease of use and minimize distractions. We also collaborated with the ZenimalTM engineering team on device electronics, with the end goal of providing the company with a model that they could integrate with their own custom printed circuit board. We also developed content recommendations for the device with input from Veterans Affairs psychologists and from our veteran user group. We provided security recommendations for the proposed product with a focus on its military use case. Finally, as collaboration with the Veterans Affairs was an important part of our project, we provided ZenimalTM with contacts to consult regarding device content.

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