Introducing SmokeBeat™ - an innovative cigarette smoking behavior monitoring solution

Abstract

Background: “SmokeBeat,” developed by SomatixTM, a big data analytics software company, is a body motion detection application. It detects and records real‐time hand‐to‐mouth movements, and differentiates with high precision smoking a cigarette from other hand‐to‐mouth gestures such as eating, drinking, shaving, teeth brushing etc. In addition to its ability to detect smoking episodes, SmokeBeat has a potential as a smoking cessation app. Methods: Automated detection of smoking behavior not requiring smokers to cooperate: hand gestures of smoking are detected by a wearable, and data are transferred to the individual's smartphone and from there to the BMD™ (Body Motion Data) platform. The smoking behavior of a given individual is followed in real time by a researcher or a health care provider. SmokeBeat can provide feedback to the individual smoker about his/her current smoking behavior and can utilize cognitive‐behavior therapy techniques (coping tactics, reminders, real time cost of smoking, etc) to help smokers quit. Results: 40 smokers who expressed a wish to reduce or quit smoking were randomly assigned to use the SmokeBeat app for 30 days or to a wait‐list control group. Smokers in the experimental condition were notified whenever the SmokeBeat system detected a smoking episode and were asked to confirm or deny it. The SmokeBeat algorithm correctly detected over 80% of the smoking episodes and produced very few false alarms. According to both self‐report and detection of smoking episodes by the SmokeBeat system, smokers in the experimental condition showed a significant decline in smoking rate over the 30‐day trial (p < .001). There was no change in the smoking rate of the control group. Conclusions: The real‐time automatic monitoring and notification feature of SmokeBeat may follow up real time cigarette use and potentially facilitate smoking reduction or even cessation in motivated smokers.