Date of Award
5-2010
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Legacy Department
Electrical Engineering
Committee Chair/Advisor
Hoover, Adam W
Committee Member
Muth , Eric R
Committee Member
Groff , Richard E
Abstract
Motivated by the goal of building a device capable of detecting when a user takes a bite of food, we examine whether there is a correlation between linear wrist motion and bite detection. Such a device could be used to manage weight loss by tracking eating trends over time and providing real time feedback to the user regarding eating rate or total consumption. A comprehensive analysis of tracking linear motion using low cost inertial sensors is presented. Based on this theory, we discuss the design and tracking accuracy of a prototype bite counting device. We show that tracking position using low cost, off-the-shelf inertial sensors is impractical over any sustained period of time. However, by detecting peaks in acceleration data we are able to look for a characteristic motion during eating. We recorded data from subjects eating a meal while wearing the device. Their wrist motions were analyzed in an attempt to identify a characteristic linear motion of the wrist that corresponds to the taking of a bite of food. Our results show that there is too much variability in motion during eating to detect bites of food based on acceleration peaks alone.
Recommended Citation
Drennan, Meredith, "An Assessment of Linear Wrist Motion During the Taking of a Bite of Food" (2010). All Theses. 845.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/845