Designing a Secure and Resilient Distributed Smartphone Participant Data Collection System

TL;DR

MotionPI is a comprehensive smartphone-based system that securely collects behavioral and health data through passive sensors and surveys, addressing real-world constraints like limited battery and connectivity for health studies.

Contribution

The paper introduces MotionPI, a novel system integrating passive sensor data and EMA surveys with security and resilience features for mobile health data collection.

Findings

Successfully collects data under real-life constraints

Ensures data security with encryption and secure storage

Integrates passive sensors with survey triggers effectively

Abstract

Real-world health studies require continuous and secure data collection from mobile and wearable devices. We introduce MotionPI, a smartphone-based system designed to collect behavioral and health data through sensors and surveys with minimal interaction from participants. The system integrates passive data collection (such as GPS and wristband motion data) with Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) surveys, which can be triggered randomly or based on physical activity. MotionPI is designed to work under real-life constraints, including limited battery life, weak or intermittent cellular connection, and minimal user supervision. It stores data both locally and on a secure cloud server, with encrypted transmission and storage. It integrates through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) into wristband devices that store raw data and communicate motion summaries and trigger events. MotionPI demonstrates a practical solution for secure and scalable mobile data collection in cyber-physical health studies.