Project X

Research project, in design

A wearable for sensory grounding. A band with its own vibration motors, designed and built from scratch, that plays a gentle, steady rhythm on the skin.

Why I started it

Many autistic people need sensory input to feel grounded. Too little and the body goes looking for stimulation. Too much and everything gets loud.

I found that out on myself. In August 2026 I noticed that lying down with a weight on my body calmed me: my surroundings felt more predictable, and I was more rational and less impulsive. The same weeks showed the limits. A weight only helps when it fits what you are doing. On the body while lying down, yes. On the legs at a desk, it is just extra noise. And it is not something you can carry with you.

A gentle, continuous rhythm on the skin might do the same job anywhere: enough input to settle, not so much that it adds to the noise. Apollo Neuro is a wearable built on that idea. I wanted one I could shape myself: the rhythms, the strength, where it sits on the body, and what happens to the data. So I am building my own, from the band to the motors.

What it is meant to do

Five rhythms, from slow to fast. Each dot below pulses at that rhythm's real rate.

Sleepevery 5 secondsA slow tide, barely there. It fades over the session, so it recedes as you fall asleep.
Calmevery 2 secondsLong, soft swells.
Unwindonce a secondA steady, rounded beat.
Focustwice a secondCrisp, regular taps.
Energy3.5 times a secondShort, punchy pulses.

Worn on the body, with motors that can shape each pulse: how strong, how long, how soft its edges.
You set how long and how strong.
Runs on its own. No phone needed once a session has started.
Everything stays on the device. No account, no network.

What the research says

Sensory differences are part of autism itself

The DSM-5 lists hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input as one of the diagnostic criteria for autism. Its examples run both ways: strong reactions to sounds or textures, and indifference to pain or a pull towards touching things.

Why it matters here: under-reaction and seeking input sit in the same criterion as over-reaction. That gap, too little input rather than too much, is what a gentle rhythm is aimed at.

DSM-5 criteria, via the US Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

Deep pressure is reported to calm

Temple Grandin, who is autistic, built a "squeeze machine" that presses evenly on both sides of the body. In 1992 she reported that deep touch pressure eased her touch sensitivity and anxiety, and pointed to observations that it helps autistic children.

What it does not show: the evidence was mostly clinical observation and small studies. Reviews since then still describe it as small and mixed.

Grandin 1992, Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology

Weighted blankets: preferred, but not measurably better

A 2014 randomised trial gave 67 autistic children with severe sleep problems a weighted blanket and an identical normal one, two weeks each. The weighted blanket did not improve sleep, measured by wrist sensors or by parents. Children and parents still preferred it.

Why it matters here: what feels good and what a study can measure are not always the same thing. A rhythm that feels grounding needs measuring, not assuming.

Gringras et al. 2014, Pediatrics

A slow rhythm on the wrist lowered anxiety

In a 2017 study, 52 adults waited to give a public speech while wearing a wrist device. For half of them it pulsed like a heartbeat, about 20% slower than their own resting heart rate. That group reported less anxiety and showed a smaller stress response in skin conductance.

What it does not show: the participants were not autistic, it is one study, and their heart rate itself did not change. It is the closest result to what Project X is meant to do, not proof that it works.

Azevedo et al. 2017, Scientific Reports

Apollo Neuro has little independent evidence so far

In 2021 Harvard Health found no rigorous, large-scale study of the device itself. A first study in autistic children, 18 planned at Virginia Commonwealth University, is registered but has not started recruiting.

Harvard Health, 2021 and ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07648420

Plausible, not proven. The clearest result is a slow, heart-like rhythm easing anxiety in adults who are not autistic. Nobody has shown yet that gentle vibration grounds autistic people. That is the question behind Project X.

Where it stands

Idea and research. The five rhythms are defined. The hardware is next: choosing the motors, the controller and the band, then a first prototype on a wrist.

Nothing is for sale, and nothing will be until it has been worn and measured.

Sources

American Psychiatric Association. DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder, criterion B4. iacc.hhs.gov
Grandin T. Calming effects of deep touch pressure in patients with autistic disorder, college students, and animals. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 1992;2(1):63-72. PubMed
Gringras P et al. Weighted blankets and sleep in autistic children: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics. 2014;134(2):298-306. PubMed
Azevedo RT et al. The calming effect of a new wearable device during the anticipation of public speech. Sci Rep. 2017;7:2285. doi.org
Harvard Health Ad Watch: Can a wearable device reduce stress? 2021. health.harvard.edu
Feasibility and Usability of the Apollo Neuro in Autistic Children With Self-Injurious Behavior. Virginia Commonwealth University. NCT07648420. ClinicalTrials.gov