Student Research Symposium Program Portal: Submission #217

Abstract Many students or engineers lose focus or procrastinate tasks while studying or coding. Digital distractions can lead to procrastination and loss of focus, and with the prevalence of computer-based work environments, this issue only becomes larger. Furthermore, digital distractions are linked to lower productivity. Previously, engineers have utilized digital reminders to solve this problem. However, these notifications can be easily ignored, and potentially worsen the problem by opening the door to digital distractions. In addition, there isn’t much significant research on combining psychological research with a physical desktop assistant. So, can a smart desk assistant that uses sensors (e.g. motion, light, or sound) to detect when you get distracted help reduce procrastination and distraction by giving you reminders to stay focused? To address this question, I will be building and testing an Arduino powered smart desk assistant. An app for the desktop assistant will also be created to work with the physical robot. The app will detect the user’s procrastination and distraction and then send a signal to the robot to remind the user to stay focused. Testing will then determine the effectiveness of the proposed solution. The significance of this study is in the integration of psychology and computer engineering to create a working tool that reduces procrastination and distraction, thus increasing productivity.