Otolo / 02 How it works
Capture locally. Store in open files. Serve to the AI you choose.
Five steps on hardware you already own. Otolo is the layer in between: device drivers, a local store and an MCP server.
Everything inside the dashed line runs on your devices.
What happens to a reading.
- 01 CAPTURE
Supported device
HR · HRV · motionA wearable sensor with an open, documented interface streams readings over Bluetooth Low Energy. We start with devices whose makers publish their interfaces, and list every device we support.
- 02 RELAY
Phone
iOS · AndroidThe Otolo app and its device drivers receive the readings on your phone and sync them to your computer.
- 03 STORE
Local store
SQLite · ParquetReadings land in open file formats on your computer. You can open them in any tool, back them up and move them, with or without Otolo.
- 04 SERVE
MCP server
Otolo Core · open sourceA local MCP server exposes your readings as tools an AI assistant can call, such as querying a metric for a date range. It runs on your computer.
- 05 ASK
The AI you choose
local model or cloud AIUse a local model, for example through Ollama, and nothing leaves your computer. Use Claude or ChatGPT, and only what you select is sent to that provider, when you ask.
Say exactly where the data goes.
A security reviewer should be able to read this table and find no gaps.
| Data | Where it lives | Who can see it |
|---|---|---|
| Raw readings and history | Your phone and computer, in open files | You. Otolo does not receive them. |
| Questions to a local model | Your computer | You. Nothing is sent anywhere. |
| Questions to a cloud AI | The provider you chose | Only the results you select, under that provider's terms. |
| Otolo servers | Not in the data path | No one. Capture, storage and MCP run on your devices. |
| Employer programs (Otolo Cohort) | Learners' own devices | Program reports are aggregate and opt-in. No per-person body data. |
What runs today, and what comes next.
| Capability | Status | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Capture to local store to MCP | Working prototype | Readings flow from a supported device to open files and into the AI you choose |
| Open-source core | Early 2027 | Free to install, inspect and extend |
| Supported-device list | With the open-source release | Every supported device listed, each with a tested driver |
| Accuracy data | Published per device | How each device compares with a reference, with methods |
Plain files and a standard protocol.
Example commands.
- Formats: SQLite for the live store, Parquet for exports. Open in pandas, DuckDB or a spreadsheet.
- Protocol: MCP, so any MCP client can use your readings, including a model running on your own computer.
- Drivers: one per supported device, open source, with the firmware version tested and published accuracy data.
- License: open source; the license is named at the first release.
Common questions.
Which devices are supported?
We start with wearables whose makers publish open, documented interfaces, and add devices one tested driver at a time. The supported-device list ships with the open-source release.
Does Otolo see my data?
No. Capture, storage and the MCP server run on your devices. Otolo does not receive your readings, and we never sell user data or train models on it.
Which AI can I use?
Any MCP client, including Claude, ChatGPT and local models run through tools such as Ollama.
What happens to my data if I stop using Otolo?
Your readings are in open files on your own computer and the core is open source, so your data and the software stay with you.
Can we run a multi-device study?
Yes. Otolo for Research brings readings from every participant's supported devices into one consistent dataset in open formats, with the device and firmware recorded for each reading.
What does an employer see from a cohort?
Only aggregate, opt-in program results. No per-person body data reaches the employer.
Is this a medical product?
No. Otolo is a data and developer platform. It moves and stores measurements; it does not interpret them for medical purposes or give medical advice.