Getfitters have the chance to participate in a research study involving a new getfit@mit pilot app for iPhone and iPod touch. The app, developed by the MIT Big Data Living Lab and CSAIL, gives you the ability to log your activities to getfit@mit and also submit the data to your own “personal data store” on CSAIL’s Data Hub.
The pilot is administered by the MIT Big Data Living Lab. The Living Lab has partnered with getfit@mit in developing this app, and will provide input and feedback to the getfit@mit organizers, who are considering the development of a full-fledged app in the future. Participants will get a firsthand look at the kind of data management tools and applications that the MIT Big Data Living Lab creates to help MIT researchers collect, combine, and use data to enhance life for the MIT community.
GetFit Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Living Lab?
The Living Lab is a testbed for data innovation at MIT. It tests and implements data and privacy technologies emerging from MIT’s research labs. DataHub (which the GetFit app uses) is one of these technologies.
How are GetFit and DataHub Different?
getfit@mit is a fitness challenge from MIT Medical. Data that the GetFit app sends to the getfit@mit website is visible to the MIT Medical administrators, just like all other data sent to the getfit@mit website.
DataHub is an experimental data storage and sharing platform from the database group at CSAIL. It is being used for research by the MIT Big Data Living Lab.
Data that the GetFit app sends to DataHub is associated with your username/email. If you did not provide a username or email address to the app, then it created a random username for you.
In more technical terms, DataHub is a mashup of PostgreSQL and Git, with a web interface. It allows sharing, versioning, forking, and branching of database repositories between users. Anant Bhardwaj is the principal architect of the DataHub platform.
What is a random username, and how is it different from using an email addresses?
When your phone data is sent to DataHub, Living Lab researchers are able to view it and your username and email. The GetFit app can create a DataHub account for you with an a random username and a hidden email address. Alternatively you can choose to use your existing email address.
If you use a random username, then Living Lab researchers will not be able to determine who you are.
If you use an existing email, Living Lab will be able to determine who you are.
The choice is left to the user.
Why can’t I see my previous minutes from GetFit?
This GetFit app sends data both to the getfit@mit website and to DataHub. The app can only receive data from DataHub. It’s broadly due to technical restrictions, which we expect to fix in 2016.
How can I edit or delete my data?
You can edit or delete data by logging into your DataHub account at datahub.csail.mit.edu . Your username and password are stored in the “about” tab of your app. Editing data requires some knowledge of SQL syntax.
Sensor data is stored in “getfit.opensense.” Minute data is stored in “getfit.minutes.”
To delete all of your sensor data, log into datahub.csail.mit.edu, enter this SQL query, and then hit run: delete from getfit.opensense where 1=1;
Careful! This can’t be undone, and DataHub will not prompt you before it deletes!
What is sensor data, and what is it used for?
Sensor data is collected from your phone by this app and others. Unlike other smart phone apps, this app lets you own, edit, and delete your data, even after it has left your phone. Living Lab uses the data for research including modeling modes of transportation and predictive modeling. The sensor data collected by this app includes:
- Device Info(model, operating system, uuid, language, locale, country, screen brightness
- Proximity (describes whether phone is being held against a solid surface)
- Activity and Pedometer (walking, running, driving, stationary)
- Battery (battery level, charging/unplugged/full/etc)
- Location (latitude, longitude, altitude, speed, horizontal accuracy, vertical accuracy, course)
- Device Motion along the X, Y, and X coordinates (attitude, rotation rate, gravity, acceleration)
Is the GetFit app code open source?
Yes! You can find both the iOS app and supporting web pages in The Living Lab Github Repository. The app runs a modified version of the OpenSense library. To build the app, you will need a DataHub token. Please feel free to fork, log issues, or contact arcarter@csail.mit.edu for more details.
Is there an Android version?
There is unfortunately not an Android version at this time. If getfit@mit chooses to develop an Android version, it will be released in 2016.
Where is the consent policy?
You can find that at http://livinglab.mit.edu/getfit-consent/
I have a question about the GetFit app and/or DataHub. Who do I contact?
Feel free to email us at getfit-app@mit.edu. If this is a technical issue, please tell us your iPhone model (4, 4s, 5, 5s, 6, 6+) and iOS version (7 or 8).