The new Gobe fitness band from Healbe takes a new approach to monitoring fitness and health biometrics. Some bands rely on data from multi-axis motion sensors. They then take this data and combine it with your weight and height and make estimates about your calorie burn and other factors. They can track your calorie budget for the day, but you have to enter information on what you’ve eaten, which adds another layer of estimation.
The Gobe is designed to derive its data directly from your body. In addition to motion sensors, it also has pressure and impedance sensors embedded in the back of the case. According to the company, these can provide accurate measure of your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as measure your caloric intake based on the glucose levels in your blood over time. You don’t have to log what you eat; the device can apparently sense the nutrients that actually reach your body. The device also has a matrix of LEDs that can display useful information including time of day, blood pressure, distance traveled, hydration level, and more. It can run for three days between recharging, and has supporting apps for both iOS and Android platforms. If this sensor system can work as described, it should provide far more accurate data with far less user intervention than your average fitness band.
The Gobe had a successful Indiegogo campaign last spring that raised more than 10 times its target goal of $100,000. The ship dates for the $300 device have slipped a number of times, but the latest information on the company website indicates that fully-functional review units will go out to press reviewers in October, with customers who pre-ordered their devices receiving them in November.
