FITNESS TRACKERS

Tracking more than fitness

Maureen SkinnerLIS 565 Winter ‘14

• Provides real-time coaching for improvement in stride, pace, form, etc.

• Initially can provide coaching for running, cycling, swimming, boxing, and body weight training. Additional sports will be added.

Meet MOOV: The Next Personal Trainer

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2454289,00.asp

What is a fitness tracker and what does it do?• Wearable device that

can be worn on wrist, clipped to clothing, or worn as necklace

• Variable capabilities depending on device. - Track number of steps

- stairs climbed - calories burned - heart rate - intensity of activity - duration, length, and distance of activity - measure sleep - set goals

• Devices can sync with smart phones using Bluetooth technology.

• Data from device displayed in apps

• Current development for device that can interpret data and provide coaching

Image from http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/activity-tracker-best-article-1.1428747

Image from http://nextgenlog.blogspot.com/2008/05/mems-vibration-sensor-debuts.html

MEMSMicro-Electro-Mechanical system

• MEMS sensors gather data from the surrounding environment.

- temperature - motion - pressure - humidity e.g. accelerometer

Bluetooth Technology• Radio transmissions• Transmit data over short distance• Some devices can be connected to a computer by USB to bypass Bluetooth

MEMS sensor technology + Bluetooth technology =

Image from http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/18/4848424/fitbit-force-review

So, what’s good about Fitness Trackers?

Image from http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-best-fitness-trackers-market-213244842.html

• Create awareness of activity level, or lack thereof

• Indiana University study: people given pedometers walked 16% more than they did prior to having the pedometer (Women’s Health Magazine, 2013).

• Apps provide option to share data with others. Social competition has been shown to keep people engaged in physical activities longer

• Potential use for medical community to utilize fitness tracker data to monitor patient recovery (Appelboom, G, et. al., 2013)

What’s not so good about fitness trackers?

• Accuracy issues: calories, steps, distance may all be inaccurate

• Ability to measure sleep questionable

• Do fitness trackers really help people get/stay fit? More studies are needed

• Data mining: tracker data, data from social media, data from other apps compatible with device

• Third party sharing

http://barrandtable.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/link-love-25/

What do you think?• Do you have a fitness

tracker? If so, do you find that it motivates you to maintain an active lifestyle?

• Besides being used to track activity levels, what other uses can you see for MEMS sensors and these wearable devices?

• A lot of data can be shared through the apps associated with these devices. Do you see any dangers with this data being shared?

Image from http://www.netzwelt.de/news/95612-kaufberatung-schrittzaehler-fitness-apps-tracker.html

• Do the benefits of wearable fitness trackers outweigh the risks?

ARCS Model• ATTENTION: I opened the lecture by asking viewers to imagine

themselves in the shoes of a runner, thereby requiring immediate involvement. I maintained attention by periodically asking questions, such as “What is a fitness tracker?” and “What’s good about fitness trackers?” Though viewers did not answer these questions, the questions provided prompts for thoughtful engagement.

• RELEVANCE: I defined fitness trackers and explained how they work with a common technology many viewers may already use: smartphones. Aside from personal fitness monitoring, I also discussed the application of these devices to the medical field and patient health.

• CONFIDENCE: I explained the technology used in fitness trackers and how they work with smartphones. I also discussed the pros and cons of fitness trackers, thereby enabling the viewer to form his or her own opinion of the devices. Questions at the end of the lecture then asked viewers to use the information gained to evaluate various aspects of the devices.

• SATISFACTION: I provided prompts for further discussion of various areas concerning fitness trackers to encourage viewers to share their thoughts on these devices.