MAYA Project

Innovative and disruptive technologies to prescribe, encourage and evaluate the use of physical activity

Description

Cardiovascular diseases represent one of the leading causes of death related to non- communicable diseases. One of the factors that significantly impact this number is the lack of engagement in activities related to prevention-focused on risk groups for the development of cardiovascular diseases, as well as the monitoring of the treatment cycle of patients with cardiovascular diseases already diagnosed. The effective use of exercise prescription for the rehabilitation of patients with cardiovascular diseases significantly improves the quality of life and reduces mortality rates. In this sense, the development of strategies to increase adherence and consequently, the time of physical activity of the population as a whole, as well as of those individuals with chronic diseases, becomes a fundamental goal for the population's health. Several recent technological advances, such as Internet of Things and network sensors, may represent an improvement in the monitoring and prescription of physical activity. Such technologies can be integrated to provide biofeedback on the prescribed physical activities, which can be accessed by smartphones. The general objective of the MAYA project is to develop and implement innovative, disruptive, safe, and low-cost technologies to increase adherence to prescribed physical activities and monitor the response of physiological variables, during physical activities for the prevention and rehabilitation of cardiovascular diseases. The MAYA project proposes to overcome this challenge through three integrated approaches:

• the use of applications with a gamification system to increase users’ adherence;
• the use of a biofeedback system to monitor the prescribed physical activities;
• implant and test a prototype.

Media Appearances

• Pesquisadores do RS criam jogo para estimular pessoas sedentárias a praticar exercícios físicos (in portuguese), May 2022.
• Credencial cardíaca: estudo da Ufrgs identifica pacientes pelos batimentos do coração (in portuguese), October 2021.
• Entrevista na Rádio Nacional sobre a pesquisa com Biometria Cardíaca em IoT (in portuguese), October 2021.
• Cientistas brasileiros avançam em estudos sobre Biometria Cardíaca (in portuguese), October 2021.
• Divulgação científica sobre biometria cardíaca no Jornal Tempo Real da Band RS (in portuguese), October 2021.

Members

Acknowledgement

Maya project has received funding from the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) through FAPESP.