By Joseph Zhang | www.josephz.me

Plume assistant is a four-part IoT system geared towards improving the lives of people with Parkinson's Disease. This case study focuses on the voice assistant aspect of the system. Explorations focus on conversational logic, VUI emotional awareness, data-logging, and external hardware integration. Plume is a working prototype.

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Mentors: Daniel Siewiorek, Asim Smailagic, Nikolas Martelaro

Collaborators: Irene Lee, Elizabeth Han (additional collaborators*: Nick Simons, KP Parashar, Candia Gu)*

Project Duration: 4 months (Spring 2020)

Skills: User ****Research/Testing, Conversational Prototyping, Voiceflow

Role: Prototyping Lead (Phase 2), Researcher, VUI Designer


Overview

Everyday, people with Parkinson's Disease battle numerous motor and physical problems including hand tremor, gait, memory, and lack of motivation. These struggles not only make each day more physically difficult, but often lead to extreme depression and anxiety. Currently, physicians must rely on infrequent visits to develop treatment plans and assess the needs of patients. This prevents physicians from having an accurate understanding of a patient’s true experience, and as a result, forces patients to make unguided decisions at home.

How might we as designers and engineers create a better way for doctors to care for their Parkinson’s patients and help patients themselves live an easier and more carefree life?

This case study focuses on the voice assistant aspect of the system. Explorations focus on conversational logic, VUI emotional awareness, data-logging, and external hardware integration. Plume is a working prototype.


Solution