HABits Necklace: A Neck-worn Sensor that Captures Eating Related Behavior and More

Shibo Zhang, Dzung Tri Nguyen, Zachary D. King, Jishnu Pradeep, Nabil Alshurafa

Abstract: In this paper, we present the design and implementation of the HABits necklace, a neck-worn device that estimates behavior. This neck-worn device is continuously evolving to provide researchers with the ability to use it in multiple applications including eating, gesture, and activity recognition. Our proposed HABits necklace generates four signal streams using three embedded sensors including a proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and a 9-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU). In this work, we highlight its ability to characterize eating episodes. We apply algorithms to estimate chew count, number of feeding gestures, posture, and activity intensity. Users will be able to visually see the necklace data and the result of the algorithms on the smartphone in real time.