Focal
Team Members Heading link
- Adrian Klapisz
- Chloetene Malone
- Richard Remigoso
- Isacc Rojas
Advisor: Hananeh Esmailbeigi, PhD
Project Description Heading link
Recent studies suggest that there is a strong positive correlation of young adults’ mobile phone usage and mental health degradation, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Incorporation. Studies also indicate that modern life constantly bombards late adolescents with news and social media pressure, thus increasing depressive symptoms and loneliness. Considering that 81 percent of Americans own a smartphone, the rate of smartphone-related depression is projected to grow. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the role of smartphones in our life. Their association with information-related stress is more vivid. We aim to address this issue by introducing Focal. Focal is a compact phone grip that attaches to any smart phone. This device monitors signs associated with stress and alerts the user when they reach a stress threshold. Focal tracks vital signs such as heart rate, skin temperature, and the tightness of the user’s grip. The data is stored by Focal’s app and tracks the events of stress over time, both by graphical data and a user-input, time-stamped journal. Focal’s application is programmed to execute specific commands to output graphical displays of stress levels based on an algorithm. The user can then pinpoint at what time they were most stressed and use the data as training to avoid becoming stressed in the future. Our device also has the capability to track blood oxygenation levels. A potential application for this device would be to help those suffering from COVID-19 or respiratory ailments by allowing them to know when they need to see a medical professional due to respiratory issues. These capabilities combined create a device that we hope will lead to reduction of daily stress with our small device called Focal.