This device wirelessly tracks walking speed and is more accurate than a wearable device

WiGait

MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) has unveiled a novel device that could wirelessly track one’s walking speed without using a camera. What’s more, the product is said to be more accurate than an average wearable device.

The wall-mounted system, called “WiGait,” is roughly the size of a picture frame. It does its magic by sending out low amounts of radiation (roughly 1/100th of that of a smartphone) and measures how it reflects off the subject. WiGait is able to measure walking speed with 95 to 99 percent accuracy, and stride length of 85 to 99 percent accuracy, which according to the research team is more accurate than using a Fitbit or a stopwatch. It is also less intrusive than using a camera for similar effects.

However, with its wall-mounted installation, the device comes with a limited use cases. Nevertheless, it could be perfect for tracking the elderly inside the house, as well as patients with conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or multiple sclerosis to track the progression of the disease and improve treatment. Additionally, it could be a useful tool in select clinical research studies.

Unfortunately, we don’t have any dates at this moment, but as soon as we hear something new — like a launch date — we’ll let you know. Stay tuned in the meantime…