Design and implementation of a comfortable Mobile-based monitoring and recommendation system for healthy lifestyle habits

The average age in Italy is on the rise, reflecting not only better living conditions but also a mentality shift towards more active and healthier lifestyles. Yet, a sedentary lifestyle remains prevalent, particularly in the post-COVID era, highlighting the need for active measures to encourage active and healthy routines. The Health App project, a collaboration between Azienda Ospedale di Verona, the University of Sydney, and Dipartimento di Automatica e Informatica (DAUIN) at Politecnico di Torino, seeks to address this challenge. By harnessing vast data sources and applying Persuasive Design Principles, the project aims to create a user-friendly mobile application that serves as a central hub for easy data access and guidance, ultimately supporting users in achieving their lifestyle goals. The app's development began with an extensive evaluation of existing applications, focusing on identifying key features prevalent in similar health-oriented apps. This process was guided by H. Oinas-Kukkonen and M. Harjumaa's design principles, with the aim of improving lifestyle changes through the app's features. From this foundation, both functional and non-functional requirements were defined for the application. The design phase involved building various diagrams, including Use Case and Sequence Diagrams, to define the app’s architecture. Flutter was chosen as the development framework due to its straightforward learning curve and robust support from Google, ensuring seamless integration with data sources like Google Fit and Fitbit. The application features over 12 customized data visualizations, created with Flutter packages such as fl_charts, to present information engagingly and intuitively. Additionally, an educational module comprising lessons and quizzes was introduced to enhance users' knowledge about lifestyle changes. Future enhancements, including reminder functionalities and a chatbot, are currently being explored to further enrich the user experience, although their implementation remains tentative.