A groundbreaking wearable that merges vibration feedback, indicator lights, and ergonomic design to revolutionize wrist care—guiding exercises, enhancing strength, and ensuring support, with a supplementary app to track activity and record progress.
Smart Wearable
Rehabilitation Technology
Ergonomic Design
Lifestyle Tech
Category
Self-Initiated Capstone Project
Role
Lead Designer
Concept Development, Product Design, User Research, Prototyping, Usability Testing
Team
Independent Project with Mentorship from Faculty Advisors
Duration
6 months
The story of C² began with my mother—a vibrant individual who, after a wrist injury, found it challenging to maintain her active lifestyle. Watching her struggle with bulky, unattractive wrist supports and inadequate solutions motivated me to take action. I envisioned a product that would not only assist her recovery but also integrate seamlessly into her daily life, empowering her to regain confidence and independence.
This personal experience became the cornerstone of C²: a wearable that goes beyond recovery to redefine how we think about wrist care—prioritizing both functionality and elegance for users like my mother and countless others.
TFCC (Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex) injuries, affecting 70% of fitness enthusiasts, arise from repetitive strain or improper wrist stabilization during workouts. These injuries, caused by trauma or degeneration, lead to pain and instability, with recovery rates at just 68.4%. Standard fitness gear fails to protect this critical area, highlighting the urgent need for innovative, ergonomic solutions that seamlessly integrate protection and support into active lifestyles.
TFCC injuries arise from preventable factors across three stages. In the Prevention Stage, lack of awareness and weak wrist strength increase risk. During the Treatment Stage, delayed diagnoses and ineffective treatments exacerbate the issue. In the Recovery Stage, improper exertion and missing gradual progression hinder rehabilitation. Addressing these challenges holistically is key to better outcomes.
Prevention, treatment, and recovery for TFCC injuries are often isolated, lacking essential rehabilitation exercises that are critical for strengthening, healing, and restoring wrist function at every stage.
Users face confusion and frustration across all stages of wrist care. Prevention tools protect but fail to strengthen, treatment braces stabilize yet restrict progress, and recovery exercises often start from a weakened state, making it feel like progress is always starting over. Balancing these needs remains a key challenge.
At this stage, the concept imagines a holistic product that unites prevention, treatment, and recovery into a single solution. Designed to incorporate balanced movement, controlled stillness, and progressive mobility, this vision aims to seamlessly integrate TFCC management into everyday life, catering to both injury prevention and recovery enhancement.
Emily Carter, a 37-year-old marketing manager and fitness enthusiast, represents early-stage TFCC injury patients. Her goals and challenges highlight the need for a stylish, functional solution that integrates recovery support into daily routines. This persona ensures the product stays user-focused, blending health, fitness, and convenience effortlessly.
From gripping a weight during at-home workouts to turning a steering wheel or simply handling documents at work, every movement is an opportunity to strengthen and care for your wrist. This product seamlessly integrates with your daily life, transforming ordinary activities into effective wrist exercises without disrupting your routine.
Concept
C² is not just a wristband—it’s a versatile companion designed to transform wrist care. Push, squeeze, stretch, wear, or rub—its dynamic design encourages playful yet purposeful interaction, seamlessly blending rehabilitation with style. Play with it in countless ways and discover the joy of movement reimagined.
App Features
The C² companion app enhances wrist care by integrating guided routines, real-time feedback, and progress tracking. Users can monitor their recovery journey, achieve personalized goals, and stay motivated with tailored recommendations and interactive features, bridging the gap between wrist health and daily life.
Features
This innovative design integrates dual-ring structural stability for treatment with dynamic movement support for prevention and recovery. Grounded in rehabilitation principles, it bridges static stabilization with range-of-motion and strength training for a comprehensive wrist care solution.
Components
C² offers unparalleled personalization with multiple sizes, materials, colors, and patterns to suit diverse preferences and needs. Designed to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle, it’s as unique as you are.
Details
C² combines elegance with functionality through its magnetically covered port for secure charging, a finger-friendly recessed button for intuitive control, and seamlessly embedded lights for subtle guidance. Every element is crafted to enhance usability and aesthetic appeal.
Details
Different gripping positions and structural strengths correspond to varying levels of grip and tension.
Movements
Based on thorough research into rehabilitation guidelines for post-immobilization treatment of TFCC (Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex) injuries from Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, I developed a tailored movement set to inform and enhance the product’s functional design.
Structure
Rooted in anatomical research, this design aligns with key TFCC-protected areas and wrist stabilization zones. The product provides targeted force distribution and muscle engagement for effective wrist support and rehabilitation.
Features
The C² system integrates blink direction to indicate wrist movement orientation and vibration intensity to reflect the frequency of wrist activities. These real-time feedback features ensure users stay engaged and informed during their rehabilitation or training routines.
Features
Of course, you can.
The C² system is designed for everyone, with TFCC Recovery Mode providing progressive movement steps for patients and Daily Exercise Mode enabling direct exercises for fitness enthusiasts. Adjustments in movement ratios, weight-bearing intensity, and gradual progression ensure personalized experiences for all users.
Iteration Stage 1/3
Modular design to adapt to various joints
Integrated app compatibility for enhanced functionality
Iteration Stage 2/3
Detects hand movements using ultrasonic waves
Provides real-time cues through vibration / airflow
Integrates with devices like smart TVs and VR headsets
Iteration Stage 3/3
A portable solution that blends wrist health into daily life
Supports both daily and recovery wrist exercises
