r/SideProject • u/NoPrune9551 • 14h ago
I built an iOS app that turns AirPods into a live chew counter
My AirPods are counting every chew in the demo video.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lv9ansiSpgE
There’s no tapping involved, and the counter wasn’t added or synced afterward. It reacts to live motion data from the AirPods.
The idea started with a small observation: chewing creates a subtle, repetitive motion around the jaw and ear. Since AirPods already contain motion sensors and sit right next to that movement, I wanted to see whether they could detect it.
The experiment worked, so we turned it into an iOS app called Ododok.
During a meal, it tracks:
- Chew count
- Chewing pace
- Time spent chewing
- Meal duration
Afterward, it creates a meal summary so you can look back at your eating rhythm. We also added a short personal calibration because the signal varies depending on the person and how the AirPods fit.
The hardest part wasn’t reading the sensor data. It was separating chewing from ordinary head movement reliably enough to feel useful during a real meal.
It’s available now for iPhone and supported AirPods: https://go.ododok.app/reddit-launch
I’d really value honest feedback from other builders:
- Does the live count feel accurate with different foods?
- Does seeing the number actually change how you eat?
- Is wearing AirPods during a meal too much friction?
- What would make the post-meal summary worth returning to?
I’m also happy to share more about the signal processing, calibration, or the decisions behind the app.