Innofest
The Innofest project explores how children can improve their breathing awareness after physical activity through an interactive “smart shirt.” While breathing is often automatic, conscious control is important for recovery, relaxation, and focus. The project combines play, technology, and sensory feedback to help children better understand and regulate their breathing.
The smart shirt provides both visual and haptic (vibration-based) feedback, allowing children to see and feel their breathing in real time. Developed through a user-centered design process with pediatric physiotherapists, the system translates clinical breathing exercises into intuitive feedback. Results showed that simple feedback works best: a single vibration on the abdomen, synchronized with breathing. The most effective pattern, known as the “breathing away” effect, activates during inhalation and gradually fades, helping children naturally focus on their breath.
The prototype was tested in a real-world setting at the Zwarte Cross festival with 125 children, comparing visual, haptic, and combined feedback. The findings support the potential of multimodal feedback to enhance breathing awareness in an engaging way.
The project was led by Sarah Pichon and carried out by Saxion’s research group Sustainable & Functional Textiles in collaboration with Breathpal (Ben Bulsink). It was funded by Innofest and SIA Sport, and focuses on further development and clinical validation of personalized breathing support technologies.
