I-Corps: Wearable lighting assist tool for real-time tracking and monitoring of lighting conditions and delivery of health information

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a personal circadian monitoring device for tailoring indoor lighting conditions according to individual needs. The proposed technology may provide a healthier environment by offering real-time tracking and monitoring of an individual's lighting conditions and delivering health information to increase user engagement. Wearable technology has the potential of global cost saving about $200 billion for the healthcare sector alone in the next 25 years. Considering the cultural and technological shift in wearable technology, the proposed technology may enhance individual health and wellbeing in the built environment. In addition, the proposed technology may provide a recording of the user's lighting exposures and activity-rest patterns as well as visualizing the degree of circadian entrainment and disruption to enhance awareness of living conditions and health. This proposed connected support technology may ultimately result in improving quality of life and health, and reducing healthcare costs.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a connected support technology by applying Deep Learning to circadian parameters obtained from personal circadian monitoring for tailoring indoor lighting conditions according to individual needs and desires. In contrast to existing technologies that have a narrow focus on evaluating the biological effects of light on human health with limited intelligence capabilities, the proposed technology is a holistic solution to enable reliable and real-time assessment of stimulus affecting the human circadian system. By utilizing a low-cost and portable spectrometer and a mHealth application, the technology is designed to monitor several health indicators such as personal light exposure, body temperature, motor activity, and body position, simultaneously. The proposed device is equipped with wireless communication that allows it to connect with a cloud-based web service for storing the collected data in real-time. The data are processed locally on the cloud-based web server by assessing the non-visual effects of light on circadian regulation and long-term health to be visualized on a mHealth app. Providing continuous information by long-term measurement of the (micro)environment around the individuals may mitigate user discomfort and energy consumption, and also may bring health and wellbeing to occupants in existing buildings.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.