Research Project

BORACLE – The Oracle for Your Body

Research Team

Lead Researchers:

  • Nhut Ho, Mechanical Engineering
  • Xunfei Jiang, Computer Science
  • Trung Dung

Collaborators:

  • Peter Washington, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Student Team:

  •  Toan Pham, B.S. student in Computer Science at NCSU

  • Carl Austin Dimalanta, B.S. student in Computer Science

  • Daniel Carter, B.A. in Economics

  • Akul Kumar, M.S. in Software Engineering

  • Subhobrata Chakraborty, M.S. in Computer Science

  • Mohammad Shaik, M.S. in Computer Science

  • Himanshu Kumar, M.S. in Software Engineering 

  • Matthew Smith, B.S. in Computer Science

  • Anthony Bernal, B.S. in Public Health

  • Georgina Argueta, B.S. in Public Health

  • Diego Martinez, B.S. in Public Health

  • Helena Hill, B.S. in Public Health

  • Xinyi Wang, B.A. in Arts

  • Benjamin Tran, Foothill High School

  • Junhe Chen*, B.S in Computer Science

  • Mayur Rahangdale*, M.S. in Computer Science at CSUN

* Alumni

Funding

  • Funding Organization:
  • Funding Program:

Abstract

Wearable devices and body sensor technology have evolved rapidly in the past years. While various types of devices collect different types of data, these data are currently only available to the device manufacturers’ internal team of developers. If the device’s manufacturers could make their devices’ body vital data available to 3rd party developers, significantly more health condition prognostics can be derived from trustworthy and intelligent algorithmic analysis. The decoupling of body sensor devices and intelligent algorithmic analysis of body vital data will accelerate independent and innovative growth in each of the areas. In this research, we will conduct comprehensive market research of commercial wearable devices, the APIs, the different collected data, and their digital health applications. We propose to build a platform, Boracle, that will collect data from any wearable devices, integrate the data and use big data technologies for intelligent analysis, and provide supporting services for both individual users and help app developers to create health condition prognostics. Borable will facilitate the intereoperability between applications and wearable body sensor devices and help end-users to improve their medical IQ/EQ and democratize accessibility to medical prognostics.

 

Motivation/Research Problem

Noninvasive, mass-market, affordable, wearable, body sensor technology will continue its rapid evolution with more capabilities to deliver richer body vital data. If the body vital data from these wearable devices is made available to 3rd party developers, more health condition prognostics can be derived from trustworthy and intelligent algorithmic analysis. The decoupling of body sensor devices and intelligent algorithmic analysis of body vital data will accelerate independent and innovative growth in each of the areas. Data privacy has been a major concern for health monitoring. It is critical that the individual consumer has complete rights to his/her personal health dataset and in total controls of what digital health application and/or organization can have access to this data.

Research Questions and Research Objectives

The objective of this project is to create a centralized data platform, Boracle, that communicates with wearable devices and collects authorized data shared by users, then processes and stores the data securely, and provides services and user authorized data access to 3rd party digital health applications.

In this project, we will develop a prototype platform that:

  • receives data from various wearable body sensor devices,
  • processes and stores the data securely
  • makes data available to developers in a safe and secure way to build new & innovative digital health applications
  • enable digital health applications to access the individual data in a safe and secure way once proper access control is granted by the individual consumer
  • data safety and privacy center around the individual consumer’s right and control of his / her own data.
    Research Methods

    We will create an open platform where 2 distinct areas of expertise can collaborate:

    (1) body sensor devices extracting body vital data, and

    (2) intelligent algorithmic analysis of body vital data delivering actionable health conditions prognostic.

    By decoupling these 2 areas of expertise, we will spur independent, innovative and faster growth in each of the areas. Examples of body vital data (aka biomarkers) are: heart rate & rhythm, blood pressure, ECG, body temperature, spO2, heart & lung sounds, glucose level, etc.

    Research Deliverables and Products
    1. A standardized method to interface with many kinds of wearable devices to access the captured body vital data
    2. A central platform system, Boracle platform, that stores data collected from wearable body sensor devices, share data with app developers, and provides data analysis services for users
    3. A number of digital health application that receives data from the Boracle platform, processes data for data analysis, and deliver innovative health condition prognostics
    4. Conference and Journal papers in the areas of biomedical and intelligent healthcare
      Research Timeline

      Start Date:09/21/2022
      End Date: TBD

      Research Team

      Lead Researchers:

      • Nhut Ho, Mechanical Engineering
      • Xunfei Jiang, Computer Science
      • Trung Dung

      Collaborators:

      • Peter Washington, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

      Student Team:

      • Carl Austin Dimalanta (Fellow), B.S. student in Computer Science
      • Toan Pham (Fellow), B.S. student in Computer Science at NCSU
      • Matthew Smith, B.S. in Computer Science
      • Benjamin Tran, Foothill High School
      • Helena Hill, B.S. in Public Health
      • Shanlin Qian, B.S. in Electrical Engineering at UCSD
      • Himanshu Kumar, M.S. in Software Engineering
      • Manpreet Dhindsa, M.S. in Computer Science
      • Martin Ha, B.S. in Computer Science
      • Taguhi Yenokyan, B.S. in Computer Science
      • Christopher Pishaki, B.S. in Computer Science
      • Paige Watanabe, B.S. in Computer Science
      • Arfan Myint, B.S. in Computer Science
      • Joseph Held, B.S. in Computer Science
      • Jacob Solorzano, B.S. in Psychobiology at UCLA
      • Spencer Hutchison, M.S. in Data Analytics at Oregon State University
      • Xinyi Wang*, B.A. in Arts
      • Subhobrata Chakraborty*, M.S. in Computer Science
      • Anthony Bernal*, B.S. in Public Health
      • Georgina Argueta*, B.S. in Public Health
      • Diego Martinez*, B.S. in Public Health
      • Daniel Carter*, B.A. in Economics
      • Mohammad Shaik*, M.S. in Computer Science
      • Junhe Chen*, B.S in Computer Science
      • Mayur Rahangdale*, M.S. in Computer Science at CSUN

        * Alumni

        Funding

        • Funding Organization:
        • Funding Program: