Why is wearing equipment so uncomfortable?

In related articles about the future of wearable equipment, many people have given their will to be widely used in medicine, "planning" in areas such as scientific research, we are always able to see the "positive energies" in the wearing industry of Google glasses being applied to clinical treatment, smart hand rings to help campaigners monitor heart rate data. Even the step-monitoring, now seen as the entry-level feature of wearable devices, has been proven to be unreliable.

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania recently invited 14 volunteers to test 500-and 1500-step tests with wearable devices and mobile phones, including Fitbit Flex, Jawbone UP24 and Nike FuelBand; 5S (Run Fitbit, Healthmate and moves three applications) and Galaxy S4 (run moves), strapped to the belt with the help of the mobile phone pedometer and accelerometers, the observer sits aside to calculate the number of steps for the volunteers.

The resulting report is that the average error in the number of steps detected by the three application installed on the phone is 6%, the most close to the standard of 1.5%, in order to see the final results or the application is more reasonable, after all, it can monitor how many calories consumed and the distance to walk, but the error of wearable equipment is very serious, Even the calculated steps are less than 22.7%, which means that the resulting data is inaccurate.

In other words, has been in the wearing equipment seemingly unique, and there is no technical content of the steps of the function to achieve incredibly no phone accurate, but the manufacturers are also complacent to its selling point, this is undoubtedly a great irony.

Why is wearing equipment so uncomfortable?

We know that the wear device to achieve data collection, are based on the sensor, the premise is that the user to use it, and can use it correctly, so as to achieve enough accurate action analysis. But unfortunately, at this stage it is difficult to fully control this-the author used several hand ring products for example, initially in the absence of reference materials, the author tends to think that its data is relatively accurate, until one day I wear a ring in the computer in front of the code word, I found that it is also taking steps, and then I try to tie it to the ankle, Intentionally or unintentionally shaking the leg, it is also in the step of the meter. Since then, the author has a more rational understanding of the precision of wear equipment.

Of course, the factors that affect the accuracy of wear equipment are data analysis capabilities, but since the former is difficult to provide accurate results, the latter also has little credibility to say.

Since the most basic steps are not enough to be trusted, what about the other selling points on the equipment? First of all, let's look at another hot feature of the wearable device, "sleep monitoring," which relies on sensors to monitor the user's micro-motion during sleep to determine whether they are sleeping, sleeping or waking, eventually forming data feedback to the user.

But in medical terms, the current monitoring of sleep conditions are mainly EEG, EMG, eye electricity, ECG and so on, its judgment needs according to the sleep process EEG, EMG and eye electrical performance and characteristics, so that sleep can be divided into different types. and wear equipment used in the method, no doubt distance from the professional is eight poles can not hit.

Take a look at the more advanced "heart rate monitoring" feature, it is worth mentioning that heart rate monitoring for the use of the environment and user status is very high, in the monitoring environment, the human body is often unable to walk, not sweating or even can not speak, because the heart rate monitoring devices are currently based on monitoring the way the blood flow to achieve- A micro-spectral sensor is similar to an LED light that shines through different wavelengths, and a high-precision sensor monitors which wavelengths are absorbed by the skin and calculates the result, which, if in motion, becomes very disordered.

In fact, even in a stationary state, when blood passes through capillaries into the wrist, the blood flow rate actually slows down and does not necessarily reflect the heart rate.

Conversely, although these features on the phone are also not entirely accurate, however, due to the differences in volume, hardware configuration and power consumption, the monitoring effect of mobile phones will be more close to the actual, such as mobile phone equipped with more comprehensive sensors, typically gyroscope, but wear equipment is often not; More and more smartphones are now starting to join the coprocessor, which can record data from sensors on their phones with very little power consumption, but most of the current wear devices do not have a similar configuration.

A vicious circle

Sure enough, the researchers ' advice for this report is "given that more than 65% of adults carry smartphones and wearable devices are less than 2%, so mobile phones can be used as a universal health-tracking device." ”

This is also more sitting on the part of the sound of wear equipment, because summed up is that wearing equipment, not only not intelligent, but also not accurate, then we want it to do?

In fact, the crux of the matter is here, we always look at the wearing equipment in a sci-fi and advanced perspective, and based on this analysis of its potential market and how strong the potential demand, can be ignored in the current technology and means, the location of the equipment is actually very embarrassing, Just like the idea that some wearable devices are positioned on the second screen of a mobile phone, but in our specific operation also need to return to the premise of mobile phones, wear equipment provided is not a convenience, but a detour, even if it is bigger than the phone this stupid and big things more monitoring talent, but the mobile phone is necessary to bring, Wearable equipment is not, not to mention the user has to pay unequal purchase costs.

And if the people who are still on the sidelines no longer favor wearing equipment, the future of wearing equipment will be more gloomy because no one wears it, which means that it will not produce enough sample data to help it correct the accuracy, and eventually become a smaller audience. Even the eventual exile of consumers is unknown.

Summary

Of course, in the future, with sensor accuracy and algorithm, as well as the further expansion of the wear equipment market, such as the need to wear the equipment alone, and the choice of smart clothes or smart shoes, wearing equipment can still have the opportunity to welcome spring, but these are not easy. In addition, the development of smart devices under subcutaneous implants is also developing rapidly, and the development speed of external wear equipment must be intensified.