Leeway
Moonnyung Jo
New Yorkers are the eighth fastest city walkers in the world. Pedestrians in cities around the world walk ten percent faster than they did just twenty years ago. This acceleration is not limited to walking — it reflects how the overall pace of life in major cities is much faster than in previous eras. Leeway helps users to use walking as an opportunity to recapture free time by making them aware of their pace and bringing it into their conscious control.
Leeway automatically tracks your route and combines information from your location with an interface that allows the user to select a pace. Using the device’s accelerometer, leeway synchronizes the music’s playback speed with the walking speed of the user and gradually slow downs pace by changing bpm of music. In this way the application recognizes the connection between pace, hearing, music, and environment.
Eventually, by slowing down, people may gain a new perspective by being more present and mindful. Leeway helps people to walk slower by consciously adjusting their pace, making a walk a form of meditation that can lead to better physical wellness and emotional balance.