It has been revealed in a new study that your smartphone can detect your alcohol levels from the way you walk.
The initial study into this developing technology showed that your phone can detect how much you have had to drink from just ten steps with a 93% accuracy.
The planned app could send a notification to your phone – or a loved ones phone – when you leave the pub to deter people from dangerous driving.
Dr Brian Suffoletto, author of the study, said:
“Smartphones can pick up changes in gait, and could in future send alerts to someone’s partner or friend that they have had too much to drink and need to be picked up to go home.”
The app will observe movement to detect wobbling or a struggle for balance to gauge if you are over the legal driving limit.
The app was tested on 17 people, who were given a vodka and lime drink until they reached the UK drink-drive limit.
Dr Suffoletto said he started the project after losing a loved one as a consequence of drink driving, so he made it his mission to reduce fatalities caused by driving under the influence.
“In five years, I would like to imagine a world in which if people go out with friends and drink at risky levels, they get an alert at the first sign of impairment and are sent strategies to help them stop drinking and protect them from high-risk events like driving, interpersonal violence and unprotected sexual encounters.”
