Wearables and location tracking technologies for mental-state sensing in outdoor environments

TL;DR

This study explores the use of commercial wearable biosensors combined with location tracking to detect episodic physiological changes associated with mental states during outdoor activities, highlighting feasibility and environmental influences.

Contribution

It demonstrates the practical application of off-the-shelf wearables with location data to monitor mental state markers in real-world outdoor settings.

Findings

Detectable physiological changes during stressful road crossing

Environmental context influences physiological signal variations

Feasibility of using commercial wearables for mental-state sensing

Abstract

Advances in commercial wearable devices are increasingly facilitating the collection and analysis of everyday physiological data. This paper discusses the theoretical and practical aspects of using such ambulatory devices for the detection of episodic changes in physiological signals as a marker for mental state in outdoor environments. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing commercial wearables in combination with location tracking technologies. The study measured physiological signals for 15 participants, including heart rate, heart-rate variability, and skin conductance. Participants' signals were recorded during an outdoor walk that was tracked using a GPS logger. The walk was designed to pass through various types of environments including green, blue, and urban spaces as well as a more stressful road crossing. The data that was obtained was used to demonstrate how biosensors information can be contextualized and enriched using location information. Significant episodic changes in physiological signals under real-world conditions were detectable in the stressful road crossing, but not in the other types of environments. The article concludes that despite challenges and limitations of current off-the-shelf wearables, the utilization of these devices offers novel opportunities for evaluating episodic changes in physiological signals as a marker for mental state during everyday activities including in outdoor environments.