Are there any open data devices?

Quantified Self Apps & Tools
1

I’m new to the QS world. Most of the devices I’ve seen upload data to a web server somewhere, often with a subscription revenue model. Which companies allow their customers to have access to their raw data?

2

I dont particularly know any, but I do know about Kyle Machulis awesome Open You http://www.openyou.org/ liberating and reporting on liberating devices like fitbit, wiithings and emotiv.

3

you can buy accelerometer dataloggers that record all the same kind of data that a fitbit is monitoring. They look like a usb thumb drive, and if you stick them into a computer they show up as a usb drive with all the data in text files.

So you have the advantage of access to all your raw data, but thats all it is, raw data, you have to find a way to analyse it yourself.

here’s one place that sells them:

http://www.gcdataconcepts.com/products.html

They have an example of activity logging which they are calling ‘actigraphy’

http://www.gcdataconcepts.com/examples.html

4

Hi Matthew,

Thanks a lot for the awesome link! I agree, the devices look “raw”, but offer much more flexibility than consumer-market versions.

K.

Analytics just became personal! Can you express your everyday life in numbers? Can you improve your life by turning it into a series of games and experiments? Follow my personal “Measured Me” experiment to find out: http://www.measuredme.com

5

I’ve also found very cheap usb pedometers on http://www.aliexpress.com/ with 3d accelerometers, but I’m don’t know sure if they store the full raw data of just the analysed step count.

6

Hi Tim,

You might be interested in Hexoskin:
http://igg.me/at/hexoskin/x/1617880

I bought one and wrote code to access api & raw data from sensors.

7

Hi Tim,
I’m working on a new wristband device which will be able to provide raw data for optical, acoustical, acceleration and temperature channels. Here’s my QS post with more data:
https://forum.quantifiedself.com/thread-angel-the-first-open-health-sensor

Please take into consideration, the device is not out yet, but your feedback would be appreciated. We’re also crowdfunding to be able to manufacture: http://igg.me/at/angel.

Be well,
Eugene Jorov

8

Hello Jbondc,

Could you tell us how you bought Hexoskin? It is my understanding that they have not even raised money yet, and they do not even have a site/store to begin with.

Thanks,

K.

9

I’ve met the founders (live in Montreal), originally at StartupFest in 2011. Best way to get them is via Indiegogo, they used to sell them at a higher price tag ~ 700$.

10

I’ve been blogging for the last few weeks about my experience with the Gulf Coast Data Logger, and subsequent analysis in Matlab. Check it out at www.activityhacker.com

11

Zach, this is wonderful, thank you for posting it here - I love seeing the documentation of calibration and of your own learning. More please!!

12

SensorTag by Texas Instruments $25
http://www.ti.com/ww/en/wireless_connectivity/sensortag/index.shtml?INTC=SensorTag

TrueSense US$ 47.60
http://www.taipeitrading.com/op001.html

13

I just learned about Cozy: http://cozy.io. It is not a device per se, it’s a platform for devices that lets you host your data on your own server or hardware, instead of relying on 3rd parties. How is this related to “open data”? I think it enables you to store, transform and distribute your own QS data, create your own API, etc. So in a sense, it is a step towards the “openness”.

Here is an article about them in Wired: http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/09/cozy-cloud/

14

I use an Arduino Microprocessor Board, connect Sensors to it and hang everything on a long USB-Wire to a Computer in the next room.
It need some programming, but allows to customize it and keep all at your own.

15

http://www.cooking-hacks.com/ehealth-sensors-complete-kit-biometric-medical-arduino-raspberry-pi

e-Health Sensor Platform Complete Kit V2.0 for Arduino and Raspberry Pi

16

I’m not sure if I follow, but if you are looking for sensors with direct wireless communication and documentation:

  1. all Zephyr HxM, HxM smart, BH3 - http://www.zephyranywhere.com
  2. all Shimmer research sensors - http://www.shimmer-research.com/
  3. Angel wristband - http://www.angelsensor.com
  4. TI SensorTag - http://www.ti.com/ww/en/wireless_connectivity/sensortag/index.shtml?DCMP=PPC_Google_TI&k_clickid=71723147-7f8d-4848-5a9b-0000000a427a&247SEM=
  5. SensorDrone - http://www.sensorcon.com/
  6. all (more than 30 of them) GATT HR profile supported sensors (originally for iPhone and BT 4.0, but you may connect them also to Android 4.3 with BT 4.0)
  7. all OBD-2 BT adapter (automotive)
  8. Some Nonin BT SPO2 sensors
  9. Bunch of Blood Pressure, scales and Blood glucose BT sensors (we didn’t test all of them)

Other (for example Fitbit, Jawbone, Withings, iHealth) have their own applications to sync data to cloud, but provide an API for Web access. Why there is no direct interface? I don’t know, but when I asked all of them they had a different answers, like “There is no official API” or BestOfTheBest “Giving direct access we will lose our tech. advantage” ;-). If you ask me, the answer is simple: “The one control the data control the World!” But to be honest Fitbit claim that it will allow direct BT access.

If you need any additional info about sensors (more or less tested and connected in our lab), do not hesitate to contact me - for Angel you should ask Eugene who is on the forum also.