Design of a Smart Cup - A Tele-medical System for Behavioral Intervention through Interactive Materiality

Abstract

This paper presents the design of a smart-cup system, developed to support heart-failure patients with their drinking behavior. The design is used as an example in understanding how clinical or behavioral interventions may be continuously provided at distance to a patient living at home. It aims to enhance communication between a patient and her care provider. The system also aims to reduce the financial implication of distant personal care. The design principle borrows from the Interaction Frogger Framework especially by coupling users action to a feedback or feed-forward mechanism. This is believed to facilitate a reflection on action and in return positively change behavior.