Evaluating the Effectiveness of AromaHub in Reducing Collective Stress: A User Study

Abstract

Excessive work stress has a negative impact on the health and productivity of office employees, making collective stress management crucial. This study proposes the AromaHub system, which combines artificial intelligence and multi-sensory intervention to enhance stress management. The AromaHub system detects stress levels through facial expression recognition and convolutional neural network algorithms, and automatically triggers aromatherapy. The system includes a fragrance diffuser and a hydrosol machine with jellyfish shaped spray design to provide a soothing visual effect. In the experiment, laptop cameras were used to detect collective stress during online meetings. 24 participants were randomly divided into six groups, with three groups using the AromaHub system and three groups serving as the control group. Mathematical tasks were used to trigger stress, and real-time facial expression analysis evaluated stress levels to activate interventions. The results showed that AromaHub reduced participants' stress levels. Future research will focus on privacy protection issues and explore the integration of wearable technology to enhance the practicality and effectiveness of the system.