Health-tracking frames trialled in major study

Level, which was first debuted last year as early prototype Project Genesis, is said to be the first wearable device to seamlessly integrate health-tracking technology into the tple of an optical frame.The pilot study began in late August with University of Southern California Center for Body Computing (USC CBC) ployees. Participants received a Level frame and accompanying smartphone app that allowed th to track their activity.{{quote-A:R-W:450-I:2-Q: To explore how technology inside a frame can further strengthen the link between a patient and their eye doctor is a natural extension to the role the eyes play in overall health and wellness today. -WHO:Dr Ryan Wineinger, VSP Global board mber}}Though still in prototype mode, the technology bedded within the Level frames – including a gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer – is said to be able to track a wearer’s steps, calories burned, and activity time. The phone app also includes a ‘Find My Glasses’ feature to help users locate misplaced frames.“This study is the first of its kind and will provide a crucial roadmap for validating future products and platforms and for understanding overall consumer health engagent,” USC CBC founder and executive director Dr Leslie Saxon stated.VSP Global indicated that Level was one of the ways in which the company was exploring the concept of ‘contextual health’ – the idea of enriching and personalising traditional medical records with context from daily living. As an example, the biometric data collected from Level could be incorporated into a patient’s medical record to create a more holistic understanding of their overall health and wellness.“We’ve found that a visit to the eye doctor is often a person’s entry point into the healthcare syst,” VSP Global board mber Dr Ryan Wineinger commented. “To explore how technology inside a frame can further strengthen the link between a patient and their eye doctor is a natural extension to the role the eyes play in overall health and wellness today.”The Level pilot will run through Decber, with published results expected in early 2017.