Dr. Johanna Schmickler (TUM) highlights ActLumus’s ease of use and wide range of sleep and light exposure metrics in international study.
Johanna Schmickler is a postdoctoral researcher at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), working under the guidance of Dr. Rebecca Robbins (Harvard), the project’s principal investigator (PI). The team learned about Condor Instruments through colleagues at TUM and Harvard Medical School, who had already used the company’s instruments and recommended their adoption.
When selecting a device, the researchers were looking for a scientifically validated wearable solution capable of combining light exposure and sleep stage data in a single piece of equipment, with an established track record of use in research settings. ActLumus met all of these requirements.
According to Johanna, the device’s biggest advantage lies precisely in that combination: “The ease of use of ActLumus combined with the range of measurements it captures in a single wearable device.” The team was able to simultaneously collect data on participants’ light exposure patterns and detailed information about their sleep stages — a combination that generated valuable insights into the cohort being studied.
Data that strengthens research protocols
The experience with ActLumus delivered insights that went beyond the data collection results themselves. According to Johanna, using the device deepened the team’s understanding of how it works and of the data collection process in practice — knowledge that helped refine the study’s protocols.
One of the highlights was the collaborative work between the research team and Condor’s developers to adapt the ActStudio platform to the study’s specific needs. Johanna emphasizes this support: “We’re very grateful for the excellent customer support we received, as well as for Condor’s openness to learning alongside us as we applied the device to a relatively new area of research.” This collaboration between researchers and developers strengthened the alignment between technology and scientific needs throughout the project.
Wearable technology in service of science
For Johanna, the experience with Condor Instruments was a positive one: “We strongly recommend both the ActLumus device and collaborating with Condor Instruments to other research groups.”
This partnership underscores the potential for collaboration between researchers and technology companies to develop and improve scientific data collection tools, particularly in studies that rely on wearable devices. This topic is one of the central focuses of Johanna’s research agenda, which today centers on sleep health, women’s health, and the development of personalized behavioral health interventions. Her work places strong emphasis on analyzing large datasets from wearable devices, with the goal of supporting scalable, evidence-based solutions.
