Researchers at the National Taiwan University have created a Wi-Fi enabled sensor that can be embedded between the teeth or mounted on appliances, such as braces, to collect data on personal daily habits, including eating and smoking. The sensor includes an accelerometer that measures the motion of mastication and other oral movements. The sensor has the capability to differentiate between coughing, speaking, eating, smoking, drinking, and breathing.
The current prototype has demonstrated 94% accuracy in collecting such data.
The data is intended for health care monitoring by medical professionals. The developers are working on adding Bluetooth support that would enable doctors to download the data on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Currently, data must be uploaded to a server via Wi-Fi.
Currently the sensor needs an external power source, but the developers are working on fitting an internal power solution.
