An Embodied Interaction System for Five-Tone Music Therapy: A Guqin-Inspired Multimodal Design

Abstract

In the fast-paced and high-pressure conditions of contemporary life, chronic stress can aggravate anxiety and depression, increasing the need for gentle, everyday, non-pharmacological ways to support mind–body regulation. Grounded in Traditional Chinese Medicine, this study translates Five-Tone Therapy linking the pentatonic scale ( gong, shang, jue, zhi, yu) with five internal organs into an operable digital, music-based healing experience. Using the guqin’s aesthetic form as the central medium, we develop an interactive therapeutic system from an embodied cognition perspective to facilitate emotional regulation.The study adopts embodied cognition theory and a design research approach using user journey mapping. Key nodes of the therapeutic process, affective rhythms, and system response logic are identified and organized into five sequential stages: entering the application, completing a mind–body assessment, receiving system-recommended therapeutic strategies, conducting self-directed therapy, and reviewing therapy records and longitudinal trends. The paper focuses on personas, namely university students, working professionals, and retired older adults, and designs based on the common pain points shared by all these groups.Based on these findings, we prototype a multimodal system comprising a guqin-inspired therapeutic speaker, a companion mobile app, and tangible props representing the five organs. After a baseline assessment, users trigger corresponding Five-Tone playback by touching a prop with a built-in photosensitive sensor, synchronizing speaker lighting with app visuals to form a multisensory feedback loop. The outcomes offer practical insights for embedding cultural elements in therapeutic product design and for leveraging embodied interaction to enhance user experience and therapeutic effectiveness.