06 BrightSide: Fibromyalgia Communication Tool

BrightSide is the first communication tool for parents with fibromyalgia that focuses on the social aspect of pain management, and introduces a novel approach to how families talk about chronic illness.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain and severe fatigue, that has no cure and no explainable onset. Being a parent with fibromyalgia is extremely difficult especially when it comes to communicating their state to their children. This is why we created BrightSide, the first chronic condition communication device for parents with fibromyalgia and their kids.

By using BrightSide a parent can establish a communication ritual that will help them overcome the barrier of speaking about their disease with their children. The interaction will establish a family conversation routine about parents’ symptoms and efforts of getting better. This will reduce stress levels associated with fibromyalgia along with uncertainties for both parent and child, helping normalise the condition by shining a light on their daily life.

With BrightSide we create a visual language for communicating invisible chronic conditions. Our goal is to make it easier for loved ones to understand how their family member is feeling and be supportive along their journey. The design fits seamlessly in the house, respecting privacy and being far from a traditional invasive medical device.

How does it work for the user?

Each device consists of two devices: the bulb which contains the speaker, microphone, LEDs, microprocessor and Wi-Fi module, and the base, which is the charger.

The system is designed to facilitate an asynchronous communication routine where the parents can record a message for their children whenever they feel physically able. Parents record messages that are analysed through voice-based analytics and natural language processing to determine fatigue and emotional state. Once analysed, their state is conveyed through a simple colour system for the children to understand.

AI Voice Analysis — In the speech recognition system we parametrise the speech waveform, that enables us to classify the speech rate, tone, and content of the message.

How does it work?

Left to right:

Mariona Ruiz Peris, Jake Kurzrock, Lior Shulak-Hai, Xianzhi Zhang

You can contact us at: [email protected]