U-biofeedback: A multimedia-based reference model for ubiquitous biofeedback systems

Biofeedback is a well-accepted approach in preventative and alternative healthcare. It is known to promote wellbeing and help prevent and treat a wide variety of disorders related to the human physiology and psychology. With the exceptional growth of wearable sensor technologies, the potential for devising biofeedback systems that blend into everyday living is immense. Therefore, we present our vision for U-Biofeedback, a reference model for systems designed to continuously monitor our physiology and convey to us important messages regarding our status. Also, we present a case study for an application that implements our reference model. The application is designed to monitor the stress of individuals working in an office setting and provide an assistive response whenever stress reaches elevated levels. By devising an algorithm for stress detection that makes use of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measures, we were able to identify negative stress situations with an accuracy of 89.63 % and a false positive detection rate of 5.55 % during our evaluation.