Intention

 CMU is known to have a diverse, hardworking student body and an intense atmosphere. In some situations, this can lead to students feeling isolated because they focus so much on their coursework. People know that active study breaks can help to do more productive work over longer periods of time, but students often need more motivation to leave their seats and take a break. Our team’s goal is to great a connected device that can encourage students to take quick, fun, and active study breaks that will both reduce their stress and connect to their community. The team will focus on the setting of undergraduate dorm first-floor common areas because this is a semi-public and multi-functional space used for studying, hanging out, eating, and waiting for friends. This space also sees a large quantity of foot traffic because students must pass through the common area to reach their individual rooms. Undergraduate dorms are also known for the rivalries between different buildings, and so the team will focus on creating a device that will add to the competition between dorms and enhance the rivalry.