Accelerometer gets the measure of exercise effort

Three-axis accelerometer features in a novel Swiss-made biofeedback device named ikcal.

VTI Technologies has supplied its new SCA3000 three-axis accelerometer for a novel Swiss-made biofeedback device named ikcal.

The purpose of ikcal is to promote the awareness of medium- and long-term measures aimed at behavioural modification.

It measures an individual's calorie consumption through physical activity and compares this with their personal energy uptake in the form of food consumption on daily basis.

In addition to the energy balance, the ikcal also indicates whether a person is exercising sufficiently.

The physical activity is calculated by measuring the heart rate and the acceleration which are converted into kilocalories.

There is a great need for this kind of biofeedback device.

The alarming fact is that more and more people in the industrial nations suffer from chronic obesity.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the global incidence of obesity has risen in the last ten years from 10% to 14%.

Several renowned Swiss institutions from the areas of science, technology and sport were involved in the research for and development of the ikcal.

"The VTI SCA3000 was selected for our ikcal biofeedback device due to its high accuracy and ultralow power consumption", states Jeff Wakeman of Teltronic.

"The SCA3000 breaks new ground when it comes to low current performance".

"This helps to prolong the battery life, which is critical for good user experience in many consumer applications", says Pekka Kostiainen, Product Manager of VTI Technologies.

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