For
Cindy Gu, a mechanical engineer and certified yoga teacher who
graduates from UBC at the end of this month, mindfulness was key to
coping with campus life.
“Studying mechanical
engineering was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done, but it
was also very demanding,” said Gu, who moved to Vancouver from Beijing
eight years ago. “Yoga helped me stay centred and calm.”
Now she’s hoping to share her insights with other people through a wearable device that promotes a meditative state of mind.
The device—a smart belt
with a complementary meditation app for smartphones—is worn around the
waist. It learns the wearer’s breathing pattern, compares it to other
biometrics such as heart rate, and provides vibration feedback if the
wearer is not breathing calmly and steadily.
To bring the device to
market, Gu founded Ohm GearLab, currently part of a venture accelerator
program at e@UBC. The venture has won the top prize at the Pacific
Venture Capital Competition in Vancouver and third prize, along with a
$10,000 cheque, at Canada’s Business Model Competition in Halifax.
“Research now shows that
breathing is the key to both physical and psychological well-being, but
not everyone knows how to benefit from that,” added Gu. “This product
helps you become more aware of your breath and use it as a tool in
stressful situations.”
Cindy Gu is one of 975
students graduating from UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science on May 31.
Learn more about UBC’s engineering women at women.engineering.ubc.ca
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http://news.ubc.ca/2016/05/25/engineer-yogi-releases-breath-device/
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