Respira / Breathe with Me: a breathing guide that follows your real pulse and breathing

Respira — Breathe with Me is a desktop breathing companion app that listens to and adapts to your own breathing and pulse rate, rather than imposing a fixed rhythm upon you. Using the Presage SmartSpectra SDK, Respira measures your pulse and breathing through a webcam, requiring no wearables or accounts. It begins by quietly learning your natural breathing pace, then gently eases it down to a pace most people find soothing.

If your pulse climbs too high, the app slows down rather than pushing you. Upon finishing, you receive a brief summary and the app disappears. It is built first in Spanish, with an English interface easily accessible, catering to Spanish-speaking older adults and caregivers who often need a calming break. The app is strictly consent-focused, opening with a plain-language consent screen and not starting until you agree to the camera usage.

It also has robust privacy measures, storing no data and exiting without any trace after use. Respira is an Electron app using the official @smartspectra/node-sdk, following Presage's electron-quickstart sample. The app makes no medical claims, treating its readings as estimates for relaxation and self-awareness. It uses the breathingMetrics and cardioMetrics bundles from SmartSpectra, adapting to your body's signals in real-time.

The guide's pace is influenced by your breathing rate, while your pulse rate acts as the guide's conscience. The app provides a thorough summary of your session, including average pulse, breathing rate, and heart rate variability, without interpreting or scoring the results. The developers are entering the app in two categories: Best Thoughtful Real-World Use and Best Overall Human-Sensing Experience.