No matter how much you exercise, if you are not on top of your eating habits, you may not be able to reach your weight goals and other health metrics.
Over the years, many scientists have devised techniques and methods that can help people control their diets.
These are offered today in the form of calorie counter apps, meal planning apps, and intermittent fasting apps on the software side. Smartplate was one of the companies pioneering on the hardware side with the introduction of food recognition technology.
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What was missing was a convenient device that could help you track your food and calorie intake.
And now, a team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has patented a smart glass-based food recognition platform that is expected to change how we think about our eating habits.
The new device called FitByte helps users track their food habits with high fidelity.
Fitbyte combines the detection of sound, vibration, and movement to increase accuracy and decrease false positives.
It could help users reach their health goals by tracking behavioral patterns. The device gives practitioners a tool to understand the relationship between diet and disease and to monitor the efficacy of treatment.
The Fitbyte detects chewing, swallowing, hand-to-mouth gestures and visuals of intake, and can be attached to any pair of consumer eyeglasses.
The device houses commonly used sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and an infrared proximity sensor that detects hand to mouth gestures.
FitByte was tested in five unconstrained situations including a lunch meeting, watching TV, having a quick snack, exercising in a gym, and hiking outdoors. Modeling across such noisy data allows the algorithm to generalize across conditions.
“Our team can take sensor data and find behavior patterns–In what situations do people consume the most?”
“Are they binge eating? Do they eat more when they’re alone or with other people? We are also working with clinicians and practitioners on the problems they’d like to address.” said Mayank Goel, assistant professor in the institute of software research and human-computer interaction institute.
The team continues to develop the system by adding more noninvasive sensors that allow the model to detect blood glucose levels and other important physiological measures.
The researchers are also creating an interface for a mobile app that could share data with users in real-time.
Wrap up
How do you track your calories and eating habits today? What are some of your favorite apps that help you manage your diet and hydration levels today?
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.