Wearable Socio-Biosensor Device for Health Impact Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wearable sensor technologies primarily rely on self-reported data or external observation for assessing the health impact of social interaction, which lacks accuracy and validity.
Innovation Solution
A wearable socio-biosensor device that simultaneously records bio-behavioral, social, and environmental data using a plurality of sensors, including attachment mechanisms, non-transitory memory, wireless transceivers, and processors, to provide accurate and valid health impact assessments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If self-reported data or external observation is used to assess health impact of social interaction, then the assessment method is simple and low-cost, but the accuracy and validity are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, microphone, camera) into a single wearable device that simultaneously collects bio-behavioral, social, and environmental data. This merging approach enables comprehensive health impact assessment without requiring multiple separate systems, thus improving measurement precision while managing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable device performs multiple functions including monitoring physical activity, detecting social proximity, recording audio interactions, capturing images, and assessing environmental factors. This multi-functionality allows a single device to provide comprehensive health impact data, resolving the contradiction between assessment accuracy and system complexity.
2Loss of information
If multiple sensors are integrated into the wearable device to collect comprehensive data, then data accuracy and completeness improve, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable device is divided into functional modules: a body portion containing processing electronics and a separate attachment mechanism containing additional sensors. This segmentation allows independent manufacturing and testing of each module, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining data completeness through coordinated sensor operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment mechanism is designed to be attached to the body portion, with sensors nested within the attachment structure. This nested configuration allows compact integration of multiple sensor types without significantly increasing device volume or manufacturing complexity, while ensuring all sensors work together to capture comprehensive social interaction data.
3Measurement precision
If the device continuously monitors multiple parameters simultaneously, then the health impact assessment becomes more accurate, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs periodic sampling of sensor data rather than continuous monitoring, with different sensors activated at different intervals based on their data collection needs. This periodic action maintains assessment precision by capturing sufficient data points while significantly reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring of all parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The device selectively activates sensors based on current operational needs and environmental conditions, rather than continuously operating all sensors. For example, the camera may be activated only during specific social interactions, while the accelerometer operates continuously. This partial action approach maintains measurement precision for critical parameters while reducing energy consumption from optional sensors.
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable socio-biosensor device can include a plurality of sensors to detect bio-behavioral data of a subject, social data related to a proximity of the subject to other persons wearing socio-biosensor devices and bio-behavioral data measured during the time the subject is in close proximity to other persons, and environmental data related to the subject's environment. The socio-biosensor device can also include a body portion that includes: a non-transitory memory to store the bio-behavioral data, the social data, and the environmental data; a wireless transceiver to communicate with another device based on at least one of the bio-behavioral data, the social data, and the environmental data; and a rechargeable battery. The socio-biosensor device can also include an attachment mechanism that facilitates attachment of the body portion to the subject (e.g., attached to the subject's wrist). At least one of the plurality of sensors can be embodied in the attachment mechanism.