Arko Ghosh is working on what is called “tappigraphy.” It involves analyzing human behaviour based on daily “tap patterns” on the smartphone screen. Ghosh started the successful startup QuantActions in Switzerland in 2016 for this purpose. A second startup is now underway in Leiden and is emerging from his new COPELAB (Cognition in the Digital Environment Laboratory).

​

Digital tapping to understand real human behaviour

What we search for, suggest, watch, and listen to on our smartphones is valuable information for tech companies. However, for neuroscientist Arko Ghosh, the mere fact that we constantly touch our smartphone screens is incredibly interesting. He has gathered evidence that “tap patterns” are revealing about more than our goals. With the startup QuantActions, he developed software that is able to precisely measure when someone touches their smartphone screen. The patterns in tapping specifically, especially the changes in often a completely new way to measure human behaviour. The data may contain warnings that someone may have a mental or neurological issue.

​

“The data about tapping on the smartphone screen worked very well. QuantActions can precisely indicate that something is wrong with someone. But to assess exactly what is wrong, we always do a combined deep-dive into the brain, or risk wrongly accusing. “But wellness is combined—real-world smartphone data with much more brain signal measurements. People who previously showed indications that ‘something’ is wrong can then, for example, permanently prevent deterioration at home. The data is processed in the background. This way, we can find out what is exactly wrong.”

​

Deep tech start-up

For this, Ghosh is working on a new startup in Leiden. “This is truly deep tech,” he says. “We are very keen on working collaboratively with companies for tests, but we want to work for what we currently do in supervision. We will establish our own company, located in Leiden, with the help of UNIIQ financing and are working very closely with the City of Leiden and PLNT. Hopefully by January, our new investment will be officially completed. I’m happy to have a business plan and sufficient capital to really start where we left.”

​

However, startups are mainly secondary for Ghosh. “My real goal is to better understand human behaviour in the real world. A consequence of this is that it is often difficult to match our knowledge and new primary fund research. But we can contribute to business and become successful in science, as well to remove real big tech bias. Deepening my knowledge is what the companies collaborating develop. This means that it takes longer, and in the end, we always have a new fundamental scientific interest. This is remains clear what your unique impact is.”