The Development of the SenseWear® armband, a Revolutionary Energy Assessment Device to Assess Physical Activity and Lifestyle

Consumers, clinicians, and researchers lack an easy-to-use, reliable and cost effi cient way to accurately assess metabolic physical activity and energy expenditure, critical components of a variety of behavioral modifi cation programs, including diseaseand weight-management. BodyMedia has addressed this need by developing the SenseWear Pro2 Armband which utilizes a heat fl ux sensor, galvanic skin response sensor, skin temperature sensor, nearbody temperature sensor, and a two axis-accelerometer to gather data leading to the measurement of energy expenditure. This paper outlines the studies that show how the SenseWear Pro2 provides high energy expenditure accuracy rates relative to equipment that is far more expensive, limiting, and diffi cult to use and how it is a cost effi cient and simple solution that can be applied outside the laboratory in a free-living environment to track energy expenditure, physical activity durations and levels, and lifestyle information.