“REFLEXION”

Reflexion is a smart mirror meant for people suffering from Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and is designed to support the recovery practice of “mirror retraining.” It is virtually indistinguishable in clarity and quality from a standard mirror but incorporates innovative technology, accounting for several features of the illness and adapting standard mirror functions to avoid typical BDD behaviors.

FEATURES

Proximity Warning 

Because BDD is characterized by up close, intense mirror gazing, Reflexion uses a proximity sensor with a five-foot reach to determine whether the individual is standing at an appropriate distance while gazing. If the user steps too close, the frame of the mirror would flash slowly in red, prompting them to back up. 

Holistic Gaze Promotion 

To encourage a mindful, holistic perspective, Reflexion uses eye-tracking technology to monitor how long an individual looks at one area of the body. This feature serves the dual purpose of curtailing unhealthy and obsessive gazing as well as reminding the user what parts of the body remain to be looked at. As the user gazes upon one part of the body, that area is replaced by a colored silhouette, so that there is no detail left to be scrutinized. By the end of the session, the goal is for the entire body to be silhouetted, indicating that the full figure has been perceived. 

Gaze Limit

Body Dysmorphic people tend to suffer either from excessive mirror gazing or complete avoidance. The practice of mirror retraining is meant to work for both expressions of the illness. Reflexion does too. The gaze limit feature incorporates a timer to be set by the user and their psychotherapist, which prompts the screen to change to a calming image selected by the user when they have completed a full session. 

User Determined Parameters

Reflexion allows the user to set the time limit on the session as well as to override the gaze limit feature, providing a form of agency that treatment programs often do not. This can be done through a linked smartphone app as well as through a bluetooth connection to devices that use voice-activated assistants like Alexa or Siri. 

INSPIRATION

Body Dysmorphia is characterized by the intense focus on perceived flaws on one’s body. Treatment involves “mirror retraining” in which individuals spend a designated amount of time each day standing at a certain distance from a mirror and taking in their full image. Reflexion is meant to simplify this process using eye-tracking and motion sensing technology to remind users how to engage with the mirror. Reflexion uses mirrorvision technology and a webcam, both of which already exist.The hope is that Reflexion allows people to treat their illness at home without having to enroll in an inpatient treatment program, which would ultimately be more expensive.

Several existing products inspired the concept for Reflexion, including MIT Media Lab’s dynamic shape display inForm, robotic furniture by Ori Living, and THEUNSEEN’s “Color Alchemy” holographic hair dye that changes color in response to sunlight and temperature.