Category: Sensors
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Apple patents weightlifting tracker
Apple’s U.S. Patent No. 8,749,380 is a “shoe wear-out sensor, body-bar sensing system, unitless activity assessment and associated methods.” The patent describes a system where a sensor-laden device attaches to a weightlifting bar and counts and displays repetitions. A watch for remote readings is included. It is widely thought to be a part of an iWatch weightlifting…
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Samsung announces Simband health tracker
Samsung’s forthcoming Simband, pitched as a common platform for wearable health sensor development, will record and analyze user vital signs in real time. Data will be uploaded directly to the cloud, with out the need for a smartphone. Simband has multiple sensors, a thin removable battery and a small motherboard. It is powered by a…
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Sensor “band-aid” assesses physical and cognitive performance
Airmen at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are testing bandage-like sensors that analyze sweat to assess physical and cognitive performance. This is based on a study by Dr. Josh Hagen of the Air Force Research Lab. The sensors notify users when stress, dehydration, and other health issues are detected. “Our vision is that every Airman at the beginning…
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Arrhythmia monitoring patch
The iRythm Zio patch is a wearable sensor used to monitor arrhythmias in cardiac patients for up to two weeks. While it is a continuous monitor, the device also has a large button on top for patients to capture symptomatic events. This is an alternative to the 24 hour Holter monitor. The FDA approved device…
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Measuring body chemistry at home
Cue is a health tracker that measures inflammation, vitamin D levels, fertility, influenza, and testosterone. Its creators claim to bring tests that were previously only available in the lab into the home. The system sends customized alerts with suggestions on how to improve one’s health. . A droplet of saliva, blood, or a nasal swab…
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Robot and sensor system for seniors
GiraffPlus is an integrated sensor and robot system aimed at keeping seniors healthy and independent in their own homes. It is being developed by a consortium of European universities. The robot uses a Skype-like interface to allow caregivers to virtually visit seniors. Sensors on the ceiling, doors, and under the mattress help the system understand where the person…
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Game controller measures heart rate, respiration, temperature, perspiration
Stanford Professor Gregory Kovacs and researcher Corey McCall claim that they are able to “read the brain” by measuring heart rate, respiration rate, temperature, perspiration and other body processes. Their goal is to sense emotions. The back of an Xbox 360 controller was replaced with a 3-D printed plastic module packed with sensors. Small metal…
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Crowdfunded handheld molecular sensor
SCiO is miniature spectrometer that sends chemical make-up information about food, medicine and plants to one’s smartphone. It is being crowdfunded on Kickstarter. The device shines near-infrared light on a sample, exciting the molecules and making them vibrate. Each object has its own optical signature. The spectrometer determines what an object is, based on the infrared…
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Cancer screening bra insert
First Warning, the breast cancer sensing bra company, has changed its strategy. They will now use the same temperature-fluctuation sensors from their smart bra in a device inserted into one’s existing bra. The data will be sent to a user’s smartphone. The sensor finds cancer by detecting tiny metabolic temperature changes caused by cancerous cells…
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Wearable sensors monitor Parkinson’s symptoms
Kinesia’s HomeView and ProView technologies provide standardized platforms to quantify Parkinson’s disease symptoms in the clinic and at home. Physicians have the tools to quantify tremor, assess dyskinesia and measure bradykinesia remotely. A patient uses a take home kit, programmed to specific symptoms and treatments,to complete motor tests several times a day. The patient can also enter…
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Crowdfunded insole monitors fitness
SmartMove is an insole that tracks sitting time, standing, walking, running, and cycling. It is based research that analyzed the gait of stroke patients at University of Colorado Denver, Colorado State University, and Clarkson University. Sensors track one’s movement and wirelessly send activity and calorie burn information to a smartphone. The accompanying app provides real-time feedback and…
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Sensors in phones, canes, assist blind with mobility
Sensor based products can assist the visually impaired with mobility, and continue to be released in various forms and at different price points. Samsung’s ultrasonic cover for the Galaxy smartphone sends alerts through a vibration or TTS feedback. The user holds the cover in front of him/herself, and it senses the presence of a person…