Lauren Constantini says that our bodies are radiating data constantly, but most of the data is ignored. In her TEDx Talk Wearable Tech Expands Human Potential, she discusses her work with wearable medical devices, her time with the Harvard Medical School, and demonstrates what the future might hold for using the data we currently generate.
Constantini’s central idea is that we don’t take advantage of our body data until something goes wrong. Only after bad news do we worry about lifestyle, exercise and healthy habits. Wearable sensors have the potential to constantly absorb data about our lives and make changes in real time.
Devices can be attached to smartphones to allow users to generate a self-EKG and monitor heart health. Pictures can be uploaded to monitor moles, checking against known cancerous growths and tracking the size and changes of the mole over time. Apps also exist to monitor breathing patterns and telling us when we are stressed vs calm and identifying the times and sources of our highs and lows.
Lauren introduces us to Chris Dancy, the most connected man in the world. He uses at least twenty sensors every day, from Google glass down to sensors on his dog. Through his sensors and data Chris learned that his calorie intake directly depended on two things: the people he was with and the lighting where he was eating. Modifying these two factors allowed him to lose 100 pounds between October 2012 and October 2013.
Lauren Constantini is a great energetic speaker. This talk is general and aimed at getting us to think about the potential of what can be done when we listen to what our bodies are saying from a data perspective instead of only reacting. Her company Prima-Temp is preparing to launch Priya, a temperature sensor that tells women when they are at their most fertile and helps them to manage their fertility.