In an article at BusinessWeek titled ‘Wearable Computers You Can Slip Into’, we read about BodyMedia, a Pittsburgh company that has developed HealthWear, an armband that “collects data on the wearer’s physical state, such as the way the body releases heat,” and is designed to be a weight loss monitoring system.
The manufacturer explains:
The HealthWear System is a revolutionary weight loss monitoring system utilizing a wearable body monitor, proprietary algorithms, and a user friendly Internet application. The HealthWear Armband uses a collection of sensors to gather information. Data from the body is then downloaded to www.HealthWear.com where proprietary algorithms are used to calculate the wearer’s caloric expenditure, number of steps, and duration of physical activity. The Internet application can also track, summarize, and graph lifestyle and physiological data. The HealthWear System has received multiple industry awards including Gold and Silver Leadership Awards for best Web site by eHealthcare Strategy and Trends Magazine and was recently a recipient of a 2004 Medical Design Excellence Award sponsored by Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry Magazine.
More at HealthWear…