Posted on 03/11/2015 4:48:17 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The federal government helped finance the creation of a so-called “diet choker” that monitors the eating habits of the wearer.
WearSens, created by engineers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), is a necklace that can automatically detect when a person is eating or smoking, and can send alerts to a smart phone telling the user to stop.
The invention received a $148,379 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2013 to create a sensory necklace to “fill the need of automatically detecting swallows and eating patterns.”
Researchers at UCLA, led by Majid Sarrafzadeh, the director of the Embedded and Reconfigurable Computing Lab of the university’s computer science department, released the findings of a pilot study on the necklace this month.
CBS News called the invention “slightly odd.”
“These sensors track the vibration that occurs in the neck when a person chews food and swallows their drink,” the report said. “This ‘diet choker,’ designed by engineers at University of California Los Angeles, can even sense what type of food you’re eating since something crunchy is likely to make the neck vibrate more than food that’s soft. The sensors can also determine if a person is downing a hot or cold drink.”
New York Magazine described the necklace as a “choke collar to judge your eating habits.”
“The WearSens choker can assess portions and contents of meals, whether someone is chewing, drinking, or smoking — all by tracking throat vibrations,” they said. “The device can be set to buzz or send alerts if any undesirable behavior occurs.”
A video demonstrates how users can enter their age, gender, height, and weight into a smart phone app and set diet goals. The app currently has a section entitled “My habits.” Positive messages include: “you ate breakfast today,” “you ate at a good speed,” and “you are at 90 percent of your goal.”
“Great job! Keep it up,” a message from the app reads after the user eats breakfast. “Breakfast is your never miss meal. Breakfast gives you energy. It tops up your energy stores for the day and helps to regulate blood sugar.”
Negative messages read: “you skipped meals,” “you may be dehydrated,” and “you may be eating too much.”
Sarrafzadeh told Popular Science that he and his team personalized the device in a pilot study by having people eat a “3-inch Subway sandwich and then sip down a 12-ounce drink.”
The researchers envision the device not only for dieting, but also for quitting smoking, or reminding people with medical conditions to take their pills.
Nanny State PING!
.... Probably be issued as a mandatory accessory under ObamaCare.
Dang it, I have an old copy of the constitution. Mine doesn’t have food monitor chokers listed in it.
Anyone know where I can get the latest one that has that amendment listed?
Thanks
The only way this thing will ever make money is by the goverment buying them. This is what our solons call “investment”. If the market is free, there will be no demand. This is sheer robbery of the taxpayers.
It won’t be any good unless it can tell you your blood sugar every time you take a bite.
Shock collars (or implants) will be mandatory some day if the statists win. As soon as a crime (or thought) is detected, you’ll drop to the ground until the paddy wagon rolls by.
But hey, if you don’t break the law, you got nothing to worry about...
Like the Implant you get when you Join the Democratic Party
You don’t HAVE to wear one....
...unless, of course, you’d like health insurance.....
Great. Another piece of technology to go wrong. Hopefully this doesn’t become mandatory for soldiers.
“...and can send alerts to a smart phone telling the user to stop.”
So the choker on the person’s neck sends an alert to the their cell phone to tell the person they’re smoking?
“Huh? Uh... Oh. This isn’t mine. I’m just holding this cigarette for a friend.”
Just pay me the money,I’ll put my hands around your throat and when I think you’ve had enough to eat,I’ll just gently squeeze.
Soooo government employees will be first to use....right....especially HRC and Chris Christie
So if I decide to pig out on ice cream or have an extra large serving of mashed potatoes, I will be stopped by my cell phone madly flashing "Stop! Stop! You're Over-eating!!!"?
Barry reported is buying one to give as an anniversary present?
The sad thing is that it is not clear which choice the majority of Americans will make.
50 Shades if Government
Thanks for the ping!
If you have the incling and the time, you should read “Brave New World.” It is frightening....but we seem to be on the path to that imagined society...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.