Can a smartwatch help quitting smoking?

Researchers at a British university believe technology in smartwatches could help people quit smoking.

A team from the University of Bristol has created software that uses a motion sensor on an Android smartwatch to detect hand movements while smoking.

Once marked, the app issues a vibration alert through a text message created by the smoker and quitter and displays the messages on the smartwatch screen to quit smoking.

One of the messages said, “Giving up smoking makes breathing easier.” While in other messages, it is mentioned how many cigarettes were smoked.

After viewing the message, the user can swipe it or press a button to view the information.

Chris Stone of the University of Bristol said that people who are trying to quit smoking have problems in the early stages and this leads to relapse.

In the study, participants wore smartwatches equipped with this technology and later expressed their views on its usefulness.

66 per cent of people were comfortable wearing a smartphone with the technology, while 61 per cent found text messaging relevant.

People who gave positive feedback said that the app provided awareness about smoking and encouraged them to quit the habit, while people who gave negative feedback said that the repeated messages lost their effect.