Technology Overview

We present Foodbot, a chatbot-based mobile health (mHealth) application for goal-oriented just-in-time (JIT) healthy eating interventions. Powered by a large-scale food knowledge graph, Foodbot utilizes automatic speech recognition and mobile messaging interface to record food intake. Moreover, Foodbot allows users to set goals and guides their behavior toward the goals via JIT notification prompts, interactive dialogues, and personalized recommendation. Altogether, the Foodbot framework demonstrates the use of open-source data, tools, and platforms to build a practical mHealth solution for supporting healthy eating lifestyle in the general population.

Technology Features, Specifications and Advantages

Foodbot is a chatbot accessible through Google Assistant. It provides natural-language user interface (such as voice command, free text inputs) to reduce barriers in dietary self-tracking. It utilizes food knowledge graph to provide services such as food recommendation and goal-tracking. It guides user toward setting realistic healthy eating goals according to evidence-based dietary guidelines and nudges them to achieve their goals via JIT personalized actionable feedback.

Potential Applications

The proposed technology is applicable to wellness & healthcare industry. With a large-scale food knowledge graph, natural-language user interface for dietary self-tracking, personalized recommendation, and just-in-time (JIT) intervention, Foodbot supports healthy eating lifestyle for general population. It helps users to conveniently journal their food intakes and monitor their healthy eating goals.

Customer Benefit

• The technology provides natural language user interface to reduce barriers in dietary self-tracking.
• The technology allows users to set goals and guides their behavior toward the goals via JIT notification prompts, interactive dialogues, and personalized recommendation.