Problem Statement
In modern classrooms, student wellbeing is increasingly recognized as a critical factor in academic performance, emotional resilience, and overall engagement. Yet, existing support systems are often reactive, inconsistent, and inaccessible, particularly for neurodivergent learners. Traditional counseling sessions or wellness initiatives frequently fail to address moment-to-moment emotional regulation, relying instead on periodic interventions that may not align with a student’s real-time needs.
Neurodivergent students, including those with ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and other cognitive differences, face unique challenges such as difficulty in self-regulation, heightened sensory sensitivity, and emotional overload. These challenges are often invisible to educators, leading to unintentional stress, misunderstanding, and disengagement.
Moreover, the digital tools currently available for classroom support often lack affective intelligence, personalization, and playful engagement, which are essential to sustain consistent use without creating stigma. There is a clear need for a system that bridges the gap between emotional support, engagement, and accessibility, empowering both learners and educators in a non-intrusive, proactive manner.
Ideation
To address these challenges, we conceptualized Buddi, an integrated affective computing framework designed to proactively support mental wellbeing and emotional regulation in classroom settings. The ideation process focused on three core principles:
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Emotional Awareness through Playful Interaction:
By introducing a virtual companion that reflects the learner’s emotional state and behavior patterns, Buddi fosters self-awareness, empathy, and consistent emotional regulation habits in a low-stress, non-stigmatizing way. -
Micro-Interventions for Real-Time Regulation:
Buddi incorporates sensory-friendly, ultra-short interventions—like guided breathing, expressive doodling, and grounding exercises—that fit seamlessly into the learning process without overwhelming the student or disrupting classroom flow. -
Classroom-Level Insights without Invasive Tracking:
Through anonymous aggregation of emotional data, the system provides educators with real-time “emotional weather maps” that highlight classroom-wide trends. This enables empathetic, data-informed support, without exposing individual students or compromising privacy.
Buddi’s design philosophy combines behavioral science, soft gamification, and user-centered design to create a scalable, inclusive, and low-cost framework. The platform empowers students to regulate emotions autonomously while giving educators the tools to cultivate emotionally intelligent, supportive learning environments.
In essence, Buddi turns emotional support into an interactive, playful, and proactive experience, bridging the gap between technology, wellbeing, and inclusive education.