Invisible Diagnostician

These days, people often struggle with a lack of physical activity. Many will recognize this routine: they wake up, go to work, spend 8-9 hours sitting, then come home and spend another 4 hours sitting (in front of the TV or computer).

This kind of lifestyle cannot go unnoticed, and it does nothing to benefit a person's health. More and more people are beginning to realize this and switch to a healthier lifestyle. Many take up sports and eat right. And if work or other constraints keep someone from setting aside enough time to exercise, they at least try to make sure they get a minimum amount of physical activity each day (for example, steps).

But keeping track of this without special devices would be difficult, which is why devices like fitness trackers have become so popular. However, you can always forget your tracker at home, it may not go with a new outfit, or your health may make it difficult to put on.

All these factors prompted a new development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: WiGait. Its researchers have developed a device that can be attached to a surface where someone spends a lot of time. Using the radio signal it emits, the device can gather information about their walking speed and even identify which steps belong to specific people.



Besides potentially replacing fitness trackers, this device analyzes a person's steps over an extended period and can detect even the slightest changes in their activity. Many diseases affect the human musculoskeletal system first, and this kind of analysis could be a great help, alerting people to health problems in time.

It's worth noting that many people view this new development with some suspicion, focusing less on its diagnostic capabilities and more on its potential for monitoring the population. The creators of the “diagnostician,” however, say it will be indispensable for preventive care and could be installed in facilities such as sanatoriums, nursing homes, and other medical centers.