IIT Kharagpur developing mobile app to help smokers quit

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur' (IIT Kgp) researchers are developing a mobile application for helping smokers quit. 

A research team headed by Ram Babu Roy, assistant professor at Rajendra Mishra School of Engineering Entrepreneurship at IIT Kgp, has developed a prototype of sensor-based activity tracking kit that can monitor the activities in daily lives along with the smoking habits.

A smartphone-based application can be integrated with a fitness band or a smartphone for tracking and alerting users with an alarm when they try to light a cigarette. A simultaneous alert will also go to a friend, relative or doctor of the smoker to deter him/her from smoking.

Roy said, "In near real-time approach, an intervention in the form of a text/audio/video message or a phone call from family members/friends/doctor will convince the smoker to stop smoking while he is smoking." 

"The team is working towards filing a patent for further commercialisation of the product. This is the first such app worldwide to track smoking activity. The proposed kit aims to develop this one that may be incorporated in the existing app on fitness," he added.