Category: HCI
Location: London, United Kingdom
Team Members: Scott Lee, Benjamin Cooper, Curro Guillen Martinez, Yukta Pathak

Nose Thing is a speculative wearable that helps runners reconnect with their breath to enhance rhythm, awareness, and flow. While most performance trackers monitor pace, cadence, or heart rate, breath remains an underutilized metric despite its direct link to fatigue, form, and mental focus.

The device takes the form of a lightweight nose-worn bar embedded with directional microphones that capture breath sounds in real-time. Through a Bluetooth connection, the breath audio is subtly layered into the runner’s music playlist, gently drawing attention back to breathing patterns without disrupting focus. This adaptive multisensory feedback allows runners to maintain optimal rhythm and enter flow states more consistently. Extensive user testing revealed valuable insights: while breath-only audio felt unnatural, the integration of breath with music provided a balanced, intuitive experience.
Unexpectedly, users found the nasal form factor comfortable and even appreciated the enhanced airflow during runs.

The project explored challenges in hardware miniaturization, signal processing, comfort, and viability within the premium wearables market. Beyond running, Nose Thing opens up possibilities for breath-guided training in meditation, strength workouts, and endurance sports. The project combines product design, interaction design, and user research to envision new ways technology can support mindful athletic performance.