Breathe: Leveraging Smartwatch Technology to Combat the Obesity Epidemic

Student: Thomas Mitchell, 2017-2018

Sponsor: Prof. Justin Crepp, Physics, Notre Dame, IN

Breathe is an app under development by the Crepp Lab that seeks to combat the obesity epidemic by leveraging biometric data collected from fitness tracking technologies (e.g. smartwatches, fitness trackers). By meticulously tracking user activity, the program can generate customizable, quantitative diets that allows for weight loss, gain, and maintenance at a pre-defined pace. The proprietary method integral to tracking and quantifying weight loss/gain is linked to CO2(g) exhalation and heart rates, although the app will likely track traditional metrics for fitness as well. Breathe operates in a relatively competitive space, but has advantages over market competitors through its hypothetical price to consumers, along with the value added of being able to guarantee consistent weight loss at a quantitatively calculated pace. While no revenues have been reported, the method is undergoing refinement through Phase A and Phase B testing; the valuation of the technology and human capital on the project is loosely estimated to be between $0.50 and $1.75 million USD.