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A robust device for large-scale monitoring of bar soap usage in free-living conditions

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Abstract

This work reports the development and evaluation of a robust and easily deployable soap use logging device. The waterproof device contains motion and sound sensors and can be fully embedded in commercial bar soap. At rest, the device is in a low-power mode and the recording of data is triggered by vibrations measured by a tilt switch. Monitoring soap usage is used to support behaviour change interventions, with the aim to reduce contact diseases. Following the algorithm development under laboratory conditions, we evaluate the performance of the logging device under free-living conditions in 58 low-income households in India. In addition to the measurement by logger soaps, washing activity was recorded by observers. These data allow us to quantify the error of soap use detection. Further, the study data are used to train and evaluate an algorithm for the discrimination of soap use associated with hand and body wash. The results show that the soap logger provides an unobtrusive and objective measure of free-living soap usage. The analysis of the activity features reveals a novel hygienic habit, which is important information for the design of bespoke interventions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unilever R&D, Port Sunlight, Quarry Road East, Bebington, CH63 3JW, UK

    Rüdiger Zillmer, Richard Wright, Susan Bates & Ian Mahers

Authors
  1. Rüdiger Zillmer
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  2. Richard Wright
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  3. Susan Bates
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  4. Ian Mahers
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rüdiger Zillmer.

Additional information

The authors are indebted to Peter Hall and Adam Biran for running the Kerala study and Adam Russell and Chris Catterall who helped with the sensor design and processing of the study data.

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Zillmer, R., Wright, R., Bates, S. et al. A robust device for large-scale monitoring of bar soap usage in free-living conditions. Pers Ubiquit Comput 18, 2057–2064 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-014-0760-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-014-0760-9

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