Fitness App by Google
In 2021, it’s not an Apple but a Google a day that’ll keep the doctor away. In their latest feature announcement, Google introduced a new way to measure heart and respiratory rates through Google Fit, their very own fitness app.
The feature is currently available for Google Pixel users, but will be accessible for more phone users in the near future, the company says. The feature employs both front and rear cameras to monitor the core vitals of the user.
How Google Fit Works?
Google wanted to make the measuring process as simple as possible. Thus, checking your vitals is now as easy as taking a selfie.
To analyze respiration, all a person needs to do is to sit in front of the camera with face to torso visibility on the screen. Heart rate, on the other hand, is monitored by placing a finger on the rear camera. It’s that simple.
This level of simplicity in measuring vital signs is a result of exceptional sensors that are built into modern-day devices, says the director of health technologies at Google health, Mr. Shwetak Patel.
Tracking physical changes at a pixel level is what helps the app to figure out real-time observations about a persons’ health. Analyzing Chest movements while breathing and employing a combination of instruments – camera, microphone and accelerator – to finetune data helps the app to produce credible information.
Users could even create a timeline of this data to track their health and plan for better workout routines even.
From the creators
A lot of initial clinical trials were completed to approve the algorithm to be tested for “real-life conditions and for as many people as possible”, says Mr. Patel.
He adds that it takes a lot of factors into account while calculating a person’s heart rate. The algorithm approximates the blood flow at a fingertip by taking into consideration the lighting, skin tone, and even the age of the user. Read more about the latest line of improvements in Google fitness tech here.
Google Fit Future perks for getting fit
As a natural progression for the Google Fit app, users will be able to measure their fitness goals, sleep cycles, heart points, and more on a single interface.
Since their ownership of the popular fitness watches brand Fitbit this year, Google is planning to expand its reach into the fitness domain and continue improving products in the days to come.
