Wearable activity monitor to track metabolic energy expenditure

Stanford engineers have developed a wearable, real-time activity monitor that estimates metabolic energy expenditure with substantially lower error than current methods such as smartwatches. This new wearable system uses two sensors (inertial measurement units (IMUs)) worn on the thigh and shank as they distinguish lower-limb activity better than wrist or trunk kinematics and converge more quickly than physiological signals.
Results of tests showed cumulative error of 13% across common activities, significantly less than 42% for a smartwatch and 44% for an activity-specific smartwatch. This approach enables more accurate physical activity monitoring for new energy balance systems for weight management or large-scale activity monitoring.

Stanford News Article 7/13/21 - "Stanford engineers design an accurate wearable calorie burn counter"

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Stage of Development:
Prototype tested with a diverse group of new subjects and new conditions for walking, running, stair climbing, and biking