SensoTRACK Wearable Tracks Activity as a Earpiece

Wearables are the new fad. Not just watches though, there are also other accessories that you can adorn, such as glasses and earphones. The SensoTrack is one such device, a smart earpiece with biometric sensors, targeted at active users. It provides a lot of information too, more than just your step count or heart rate. The SensoTRACK can measure heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiration rate, step count, calories burned, speed, geolocation, altitude, and even body posture. More information on how you exercise is always beneficial, even if you are a casual athlete.

The SensoTRACK fits securely on your ear and stays in-place during any activity. Their proprietary optical biosensor measures heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation with the highest accuracy and precision. Also, the in-ear device allows close uninterrupted access to the temporal artery for accurate readings. Sensotrack claims that their accuracy level is on par with FDA-approved vital-sign monitoring devices, but do note they are not FDA-approved yet for that purpose.

NBCnews recently reported that real-time progress reports actually help motivate people to be more active. It’s true. I’ve seen people who actively monitor their daily step on their iPhone, and would go for impromptu walks if their daily total step count fall short of their target. It’s a great tool to motivate people to start exercising. This SensoTrack goes one step further. By providing access to additional biological parameters, you can now monitor the exact intensity of the workout and how your body is responding. One tip shared by Sensogram founder and SensoTRACK architect, Dr. Vahram Mouradian was large steps raise heart rate but did not yield a higher calorie burn, instead smaller, more frequent steps burned more calories. Good for those looking to lose weight.

The device will be able to pair up with either Android or iOS devices as well as a standalone mode. In the standalone mode, it can hold up to a weeks worth of data until you pair it with a phone or computer.

The final prototype is already completed and the company is trying to raise $250,000 to ship out the product to its backers by April 2015. As with all Kickstarter projects, there is a risk to the funding, and delays or changed specifications do happen with Kickstarter projects. One bit that is conspicuously missing from the list of features is music playback. It seems like due to the optical sensor, it misses out on the ability to use it as a headphone to play music. This could be a major no-go for some. There is a built-in directional speaker for notification purpose, but it seems to be a speaker mounted outside the ear canal.

SensoTRACK is launching via a Kickstarter campaign. Supporters are able to pledge $199 for early access to SensoTRACK, with shipments scheduled to begin in February 2015. SensoTRACK itself will hit the worldwide market starting in April 2015. Pledge $599 or more for the Family Pack: You get 4 SensoTRACK devices at around $150 each. Shipping is also cheaper. Let us know in comments if anyone is interested in pooling together.