A research team at the Indian Institute of Technology is developing an app to help people quit smoking

• The Indian Institute of Technology is working aggressively to develop a mobile application that can track all unhealthy activities of the users including smoking.
  
• The research team has claimed the app will not only detect when a user smokes but will also send warning signals for customised intervention.
  
• However, the application is dependent solely on the will of the users to quit smoking.
  

Even though the packet of cigarettes comes up with dire warnings and graphic images, most people addicted to smoking struggle to quit.

Now, the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur is developing a mobile application that can help people kick the habit — but only if they are willing to do so, The Economic Times $4.

The mobile app is sensor-based technology that will alert users whenever they try to light a cigarette. The research team says it is aware that merely sending warnings to the users may not sufficient and an intervention is required to discourage the smoker. Thus, the app will also send an alert to a friend or relative or the doctor of the user so that he can be convinced for not smoking.

The app will first feed all the data of the users by creating a smoking behaviour profile. It will then analyse the effects of smoking on the user’s life followed by sending warnings about its impact on his or her health.

The automated recognition feature of the mobile application is supposed to track down the addictive and depressive behaviour of the users, according to the research team.

The technology reportedly can monitor body movements and predict both good and bad daily habits including such as smoking or drinking enough water. Much like a fitness app, it also shares information on sleeping patterns that impact health.

The research team is also filing for a patent for its commercial release.

(With IANS inputs)

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