Scientist-led conferences at Harvard, Stanford and MIT
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Google Glass monitors heart and breathing in real time
A paper released this week by MIT Media Lab and Georgia Tech researchers claims that Google Glass can detect pulse and respiration rhythms in real time. The responses were measured using a built-in gyroscope, accelerometer and camera, with no external sensors. According to lead author Javier Hernandez, “Glass detects these physiological indicators with a very high accuracy when compared…
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DARPA neuromodulation tech for physical and mental health
DARPA‘s ElectRx research program aims to develop high precision, minimally-invasive neuromodulation technologies to treat diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy and PTSD. Implanted ultraminiaturized devices would modulate the peripheral nervous system’s response to infections, injuries or other imbalances. Project manager Doug Weber claims that ElectRX technologies “would continually assess conditions and provide stimulus patterns tailored to help maintain…
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Face video scan detects heart disease
According to University of Rochester professor Jean-Philippe Couderc, cardiac disease can be identified and diagnosed using contactless video monitoring of the face. A recent study describes technology and an algorithm that scan the face and detect skin color changes imperceptible to the naked eye. Sensors in digital cameras record the colors red, green, and blue. Hemoglobin “absorbs”…
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Crowdfunded kinematic wearable assesses joint health
runScribe, a wearable being crowdfunded on Kickstarter, has a 9-axis kinematic sensor, capturing 3D images of a runner’s gait. It assesses foot strike type, stride length and contact time. Upgraded versions access 13 kinematic metrics, including degrees of pronation and accelerometer data. The company claims that casual through ultra-runners can benefit from the device. They are…
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EEG enables ALS patients to control devices, communicate
Philips and Accenture are using EEG brainwaves to help ALS patients command electronic devices via a wearable display, a tablet and software. The system can access a medical alert service, a smart TV and wireless lighting, and communicate via pre-configured messages. The wearable display provides visual feedback that allows the user to navigate the application…
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Foot sensor for health, fitness, immersive gaming
Boogio detects up to 65,000 points of pressure via sensor layers that clip into shoes, plus and accelerometer and Bluetooth LE radio to communicate with a user’s phone. It detects body weight, gravitational force exerted, balance, and pressure along the feet to determine if a user is leaning. Applications include monitoring injury recovery, the gamification…
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Virtual reality movement training for amputees
CAREN, developed at the University of South Florida, helps those with limb loss and prosthetics improve basic function, symmetry and walking efficiency. It is also a tool for researchers to study ways to improve mobility and balance. Wearing a safety harness and walking on a treadmill in the room-sized system, participants of a recent study engaged in audio-visual balance…
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50 Cent/Intel headphones combine music and health
Following Dr. Dre‘s enormously successful Beats by Dre, celebrities are entering the wearable/headphone market, combining audio with health/fitness monitoring features. Intel and rapper 50 Cent, through his SMS Audio venture, have announced a partnered to develop BioSport headphones. Their key feature is a series of biometric sensors integrated into a custom heart rate monitor. An…
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Wearable and app for Parkinson’s tracking
Intel and the Michael J. Fox Foundation have combined smartwatches with analytics software to gauge the impact of Parkinson’s medications. (Intel press release here.) 25 clinical trial participants wore (originally crowdfunded) Pebble watches to track tremors, gait, sleep patterns and other indicators for four days. 300 data points per second per patient were relayed to the…
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Wearable sensor detects chemical disease markers
University of Michigan professors Sherman Fan and Zhaohui Zhong‘s newly developed graphene-based wearable sensor detects airborne chemicals that serve as disease indicators. This could be the first wearable that monitors a broad array of chemical, rather than physical attributes. The sensor could detect acetone, a biomarker for diabetes, or abnormal levels of nitric oxide and oxygen, indicators of…
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Biosensor monitor for post-surgery GI disorder
AbStats is a plastic, disposable, non-invasive acoustic gastrointestinal surveillance biosensor that attaches to the abdomen after surgery. It was developed by UCLA professor Brennan Spiegel and described in a paper published in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery this week. The device can help doctors determine which post-operative patients should be fed, and which should not, by monitoring for post-operative ileus,…
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One step closer to “brain-like” sensory computing
Based on DARPA’s SyNAPSE, IBM has unveiled its TrueNorth chip, published in Science this week. The processor can handle large volumes of data with minimal power, which IBM claims is similar to how the human brain functions. Containing 5.4 billion transistors, TrueNorth consumes 70 milliwatts of power, significantly less than a typical microprocessor. IBM says that…
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