Stress helper device- Concept 3 - sensory overload

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Some people struggle with sensory overload from background noise, voices, visual stimulation, light, etc. This is a pair of glasses with adjustable darkness. They can range from completely transparent to very dark, and you can easily adjust them whilst wearing them.



The glasses also remember what brightness settings they have been set to during the day, and display it on the arm of the glasses with a simple LED display. At the end of the day you can use this simple visual representation, to see the times when you were most overloaded.

It would be possible to create a similar device to deal with audio overload - adjustable noise cancelling earphones, etc.

Do you struggle with sensory overload? Would you like to be able to adjust the amount of sensory stimulus you receive?
Do you use/wear anything to reduce sensory stimulus?
Does stress affect/agravate your sensory overload?
Would you like to be able to see a history of the times you've been overwhelmed by your sensory environment?

Answer to all questions is yes. I wear earplugs and sunglasses.

I would like very much to try this device. Hopefully there could be a style review so that the design isn't too masculine for a female!

Again - cool - photograde glasses don't get dark enough and sometimes I would like darkness in situations that are too low-light for photograde. I'd like the control. Sometimes I just want the option to shut people out. The features of adjust-ability and feedback are marvy!

I wouldn't like this. I usually wear sunglasses (a pair I really like) anyway, and these would interfere. I imagine they would also need to be at least slightly heavier than normal sunglasses, which I wouldn't want tugging on my ears. They also don't address sensory issues other than brightness.

There is already a product on the market kind of like the one described:


Vuzix Wrap 920AR

Built in displays, stereo cameras for Augmented Reality, headphones and headtracker, I think it has a GPS module as well.
>>>Product page<<<

I'm saving up for a set for myself. $1499.00 seems reasonable to me. I'll pull the trigger when they release a 720P version.

I'm going to pair it with an O-Droid-X micro computer running Ubuntu or some flavour of linux AND Android, which I shall power using a couple of cellphone batteries. I'll use an active desktop wallpaper to display the stream coming from the camera's so I can see where I'm going, use transparencies etc.

Connectivity via 4G, Wireless and BlueTooth.

I'll control it via voice and BlueTooth AirMouse:


I could run it all from a tablet, but that would not be as much fun.

Is it just me or does this concept remind anyone of Zaphod's "Peril - Sensitive Sunglasses" that he wears in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (in the books and the show, not the movie unfortunately).

According to the book: Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses have been specially designed to help people develop a relaxed attitude to danger. At the first hint of trouble, they turn totally black and thus prevent you from seeing anything that might alarm you. A double-pair is frequently worn by Zaphod Beeblebrox.

Sunglasses don't help me at all, tinted lenses are what I'm looking into to.

I don't have issues with bright light. I still can't find good enough noise cancelling headphones though.......

This is a really cool idea! I use ordinary sunglasses all the time to cut down on fluorescent lights from supermarkets and other stressful artificial settings to prevent or moderate sensory overload, but the idea of recording the frequency of each incident could really help people find what triggers their meltdowns and better prepare for them.

This is great; seems to be one of the favourite ideas so far.

MarthaCannary; really cool to see you thinking about a similar device. We're aiming for something a bit less "cyborg", though!

gretchyn: ideally these would replace your existing sunglasses; we don't want to make people wear two pairs! Do you think this would be possible? We'd need to make several different styles to account for different tastes, genders, etc. It should be possible to make them almost the same weight/feel as conventional sunglasses.

Tuttle: interesting point. Would you be interested in adjustable tint, or do you have a particular colour that you prefer? Imagine there are no technological limitations.

General questions: how do you react to sensory overload?

Some irritability, increased hyper-sensitivity, clumsiness, and I kind of "lose my vision" - I can get disoriented and I appear to examine things closely, but I can't really see what I am looking at. If I don't get relief I shut down and inevitably melt down.