Lots of people are familiar with waving handheld remotes when playing video games. However, Murphy from England is applying the idea to something else: helping children and young people who are struggling with their mental health.

He has created Contr, a combination of two pieces of stick-shaped handheld equipment and a smartphone app, which can be used to practise mindfulness - a form of meditation (冥想) and relaxation. The Contr equipment uses sounds, lights and vibrations to guide people through different mindfulness activities and games. These include balancing on one leg and breathing in and out as if you are a balloon, while the app records your progress.

Murphy came up with the idea while he was studying product design at the University of Brighton, in England. He had seen the challenges faced by his younger brother, who has ADHD, a condition that makes it hard for people to sit still and concentrate. To help his brother out, Murphy was determined to design something useful.

"When we spoke to parents, we found that it wasn't just young people with ADHD that needed mindfulness; it could be useful for other mental health issues too," says Murphy. "The benefits of mindfulness are well known, but for a child mindfulness can be a little tedious and passive," adds Murphy's father, John, "The idea here was to make mindfulness fun."

Contr will begin taking orders in September, 2023 on Starter website. Murphy and John are already thinking how it could develop. They strongly hope Contr will be able to help young people who are feeling anxious or struggling to concentrate.