亚洲AV

With new smartwatch app, help can be as close as your wrist

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An example of an intervention. Photo by Niloofar Kalantari

亚洲AV researchers Vivian Motti and are utilizing smartwatch capabilities to help neurodiverse individuals live more independent lives.

With the support of from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, they have developed a smartwatch application that will help improve the daily lives of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The team has started a pilot study of the app with 20 individuals in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and are looking to add more. The study participants are college-age people with intellectual and development disabilities; each receives a smartwatch and phone to use with the study. The researchers said they are getting a lot of interest from parents.聽

鈥淭his project is helping us identify ways wearable technology can support young adults with intellectual and development disabilities in regulating their emotions while completing a task in the learning or employment environment without overreliance on the support staff,鈥 says Evmenova, professor of special education and disability research in the .

The app uses sensor data鈥攈eart rate, movement levels, hand motions鈥攆rom a smartwatch to understand when the wearer needs some kind of intervention. This intervention is a suggestion, such as 鈥淭ake a drink of water鈥 or 鈥淟isten to music,鈥 which is based on information gathered from the individual participants regarding their preferences on ways to calm themselves.

鈥淸The participants] are excited to use the watch, and many say they enjoyed the interventions,鈥 said Motti, who is an assistant professor in Mason鈥檚 .

With the support of a consultant, Heidi Graff, the researchers meet with the study participants weekly. 鈥淚t has become sort of a focus group,鈥 said Motti. 鈥淭hey really like to see one another.鈥

Most of the initial interventions were based on classroom or employment scenarios, but Motti said they had heard from one participant that she wished she had worn her watch to a Washington Nationals game. She was at a game in July 2021 when gunshots were fired outside of the stadium, and people inside the stadium had to shelter in place. She felt she really could鈥檝e used the smartwatch then.

Motti and Evmenova found this information valuable as they would like to encourage use of the app outside controlled scenarios.

Motti said one of the biggest challenges working with these populations is the lack of data. 鈥淲e just don鈥檛 have well-established metrics. We are mainly relying on first-person views and perspectives.鈥

The back end of the app was developed with the help of the Office of Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR) student Leela Hymava Yaddanapudi, who is majoring in computer science. Graduate research assistants Niloofar Kalantari and Anika Binte, both PhD students in information technology, helped with the design the interface.

Long-term goals for the project including making the app widely available. Another grant would be needed to help maintain the system that system that supports the technology.

鈥淭echnology levels the playing field and allows new opportunities for all individuals regardless of their abilities and needs,鈥 said Evmenova. 鈥淒r. Motti and I are both passionate about developing new technology-based and universally designed solutions for all.鈥