Track Calories Burned and More with Body Monitoring System

BodyMedia FIT Armband BW, a wearable body monitoring system, uses four sensors to track thousands of data readings and display them to show users their calories burned, steps taken, physical activity and sleep duration and efficiency. Using Bluetooth wireless technology, the results can be sent to an app on the user’s smartphone (iPhone or Android) for real-time updates.  A dashboard shows the user’s results for the day and allows tracking of food intake through a database of over 30,000 items.

For more information on the BodyMedia FIT Armband BW click here.

Motion Sensing Monitors Swimming Activity

Using motion sensing technology, FINIS Swimsense Performance Monitor automatically detects and distinguishes stroke types, and records the number of laps swum, total distance, calories burned, lap time, pace and stroke count. The monitor fits in a watchband form factor and uses accelerometers, magnetometers and patent-pending proprietary algorithms to identify the user’s swim. The swimmer simply uploads swim data to the Swimsense Training Log to analyze distance, calories, different stroke types, pace, stroke count and SWOLF (swimming efficiency) score. Designed for fitness enthusiasts and recreational swimmers to elite swimmers and triathletes, they can view their current workout while they swim and up to 14 past workouts/swims on the Swimsense monitor

For more information about FINIS Swimsense Performance Monitor, click here.

Highly Integrated MEMS-Based Motion Sensing

Motion sensing is at the heart of several new features in consumer products including cell phone, tablet PCs and games. InvenSense has been a major player in these applications but its newest product family makes motion sensing even easier to design and manufacturer. MPU-6000 product family integrates a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer on the same silicon die together with an onboard Digital Motion Processor (DMP). The DMP can process the complex 9-axis sensor fusion algorithms required for motion sensing. Offered in a 4x4x0.9 mm QFN package, the MPU-6000’s sensor fusion algorithms utilize an external magnetometer output through its master I2C bus to provide dead reckoning functionality.

For more information on InvenSense MPU-6000 product family, click here.

Sensing Functions to Increase in Smartphones

ABI Research says that by 2013, 85% of smartphones will ship with GPS, over 50% will ship with accelerometers and almost 50% will have gyroscopes. A sensor-driven user interface (UI) will be an increasing theme in the next wave of mobile UI innovation. This will turn objects, locations, and people into networked, interactive elements according to ABI Research study, “Mobile Device User Interfaces.”

Following Apple’s UI lead with the iPhone, other smartphone OEMs including those using Google’s Android OS are pursuing UI design and development. Many OEMs, particularly, developed their own custom UI overlays. The growth of sensors in smartphones will be driven by applications such as gaming, location awareness, and augmented reality, as well as the expansion of motion-based commands.

For more information about the market outlook for sensors in smartphones in ABI Research study, “Mobile Device User Interfaces,” click here.

Software Simplifies Motion Sensing

Motion sensing is one of the hottest sensing areas. Using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based accelerometers and gyroscopes, systems designers are adding motion sensing to smart phones and other handheld products, as well as games, movies and even medical applications. To simplify the use of its MEMS sensors, Kionix has developed a software engine called Gesture Designer. This tool allows developers to easily create, evaluate and implement motion-based gestures based on the algorithms built into the company’s KXTF9 tri-axial accelerometer. With the algorithms, users can access12 tap-enabled, application-specified functions.

For more information about the Gesture Designer, you need to talk to Kionix. (607-257-1080). Kionix Website.

For more information about Kionix KXTF9 accelerometer, click here.

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