Researchers from Michigan State University’s departments of Electrical Engineering and Kinesiology are teaming up to create a new wearable sensor network to assess a person’s physical activity and overall well-being.
Using technology developed by engineering professor Subir Biswas, participants will wear three small, wireless sensors – on their wrist, upper arm and lower leg – that during any physical activity will measure not only the frequency, intensity and time but also now the type of activity, providing valuable information. The data then will be wirelessly transmitted to medical service providers’ servers for remote assessment and well-being management.
“This adds another dimension in how we measure physical activity,” said Karin Pfeiffer of MSU’s Department of Kinesiology. “If we cannot accurately measure physical activity, we cannot know what is effective and what is not in battling obesity and other health risk factors.”