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Fraunhofer IIS > Press and Media > Press Releases > Press Releases 2009 > PI Medica
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Press Release
17/11/2009
Contact:
Marc Briele
Phone +49 9131 776-1630
Fax +49 9131 776-1649
Send an e-mail
Fraunhofer-Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen IIS
Am Wolfsmantel 33
91058 Erlangen
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Encouraging Exercise – Promoting Health
Exercise is key to a healthy lifestyle. Motivating people to exercise more is a way of contributing to their health. At MEDICA 2009, Fraunhofer IIS will demonstrate varied approaches to measuring, analyzing and assessing physical activity. These involve small electronic devices that provide users with exercise suggestions and instructions and give immediate feedback.
People who keep mobile and physically active are better able to remain self-sufficient and independent in old age. Moreover, exercise has beneficial effects on a person‘s well-being. Fraunhofer IIS is intensifying its research in the area of physical activity monitoring, which entails the classification and assessment of body movements. The objective is to motivate people to exercise more and to support them in their activities. Small electronic appliances can aid those who are unsure about their physical capability or about the right way to do fitness exercises. By reliably sensing body movements and providing users with immediate feedback, these devices can help users to stop worrying about making mistakes when exercising and to build knowledge of appropriate sport and exercise programs. In addition, the institute will be showcasing systems for sensing a range of vital signs in order to determine an individual‘s state of health and current level of physical activity.
ActiSENS is a motion sensor that measures its wearer‘s movements throughout the day. It is worn on the belt and roughly the size of a cell phone. The sensor assigns body movements to one of five categories: walking, running, cycling, going upstairs and downstairs. It also detects physical inactivity, such as when the user is standing, sitting or lying down. Each type of activity earns the user a specific number of points: Running generates higher scores than cycling, which in turn yields more points than walking and so forth. No points are awarded for sitting or riding an elevator. The sensor continuously adds up the points collected during the day, and the more frequent and intense a user‘s physical activity, the more points they accumulate. In this way, the sensor provides the user with objective feedback on their physical activity. The user‘s activity score for the day is continuously updated and shown on an integrated display screen. At midnight each day, the score is automatically zeroed and a new round begins. A Bluetooth module makes it convenient to transmit the collected data to a personal computer, where it can be analyzed in more detail and a monthly overview or similar information can be displayed.
Another system, called Fitness Assistant, comprises a sensor suit which collects data on its wearer‘s movements, a T-shirt for respiratory measurement, and a PDA. The latter serves as the user interface, analyzes the data collected, provides the user with feedback on their physical activities and can instruct them on fitness or rehabilition exercises. Designed for use anywhere, the Fitness Assistant helps users to keep fit through regular exercise, which translates into health benefits. One major target group for the Fitness Assistant are senior citizens, who represent a growing proportion of modern societies. Providing an incentive to exercise more, along with real-time guidance on how to do so, is essential to keeping people mobile and independent.
Both systems are designed to provide a fun way to encourage users to take more exercise so as to improve or at least maintain their motor abilities. Application areas include prevention of obesity and cardiovascular disease, monitoring and support of patients treated for these conditions, and workout programs for elderly people or patients undergoing physical rehabilitation. These offers are targeted mainly at adults. However, since lack of exercise as well as obesity are increasingly found in children and adolescents, Fraunhofer IIS is participating in research projects aimed at making these applications attractive to young people, for instance by combining them with games or online virtual competitions.
Please visit us at MEDICA 2009, Düsseldorf, hall 10, booth F05.
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