Self-learning AI sensor enables personalized solution for every user in wearable and hearable devices
Unique self-learning and personalization features enable users to easily train devices with customized fitness activities
Squats, crunches or kettlebell swings: The list of fitness exercises
available nowadays is almost endless. Many fitness trackers or
smartwatches, however, offer only a very limited number of activities that
can be tracked and do not recognize activities reliably due to different
performance styles, equipment, heights and energy levels of users. To
solve such problems, Bosch Sensortec has developed a revolutionary selflearning motion sensor that adds artificial intelligence (AI) to portable
devices: the BHI260AP self-learning AI sensor.
The sensor enables manufacturers of wearable and hearable devices to
provide highly personalized fitness tracking through self-learning AI
software in the sensor. It recognizes and adapts to a wide variety of
movements and is able to learn any new fitness activity that is based on
repetitive, cyclical patterns. Users can hence be trainers and trainees at the
same time.
“The self-learning AI sensor will change how users interact with their
fitness devices from a mere one-way approach to an interactive way of
training”, says Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO at Bosch Sensortec. “This new
sensor combines Bosch Sensortec’s long-term experience in smart motion
sensors with its strong competence in innovative software development.“
One piece of software – four features
The self-learning AI software is available with a standard set of more than
fifteen pre-learned fitness activities, so no training is required before use.
In addition, it offers four product features: learn, personalize, auto track
and enhance. The learning mode offers users the option to add new fitness
activities that were originally not supported, enabling them to customize
the device to their individual needs. The personalization feature enables
users to adapt existing, pre-learnt activities to their own individual style,
increasing the accuracy of calorie counting and activity analyses.
With the auto track function, users can automatically track fitness activities
without any manual intervention and analyze their intensity with activity
type and count over time – enabling both endurance and strength training.
Finally, manufacturers can add new fitness activities without having to
modify the software or needing an original dataset. These new transferable
exercises may be provided by coaches or star athletes, enabling
benchmarking against the best and learning from experts, or simply from
the users’ friends. This enhances the perceived value of devices and
strongly helps the manufacturers to differentiate.
With the AI running on the sensor itself, hence on the edge, no connectivity
to the cloud or even a smartphone is needed. This keeps the data private
and means activities can be continuously tracked and analyzed, without the
need for an internet connection or tethering to a phone. Edge AI also
minimizes latency and power consumption, meaning users can get fast,
real-time feedback and extended charging intervals on their devices.
All-in-one solution with multiple software options
The new sensor is provided to manufacturers as an integrated System in
Package (SiP) solution, which includes the hardware, software and
embedded AI. This reduces development time and costs, and cuts time to
market.
In addition to the self-learning AI software, Bosch Sensortec offers a wide
range of software solutions for the BHI260AP. Wearables manufacturers
can simply load the required software on to the sensor to enable solutions
targeted at specific use cases including orientation tracking, position
tracking (PDR) and swimming. The sensor recognizes four different
swimming styles: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. Since
the BHI260AP is a fully programmable sensor, manufacturers can build
their own customized software to be embedded in the BHI260AP or upload
customized solutions depending on the users’ context. To protect these
customized solutions from unauthorized use, the smart programmable
sensor offers a digital signature.
To make development of AI based wearable solutions even easier, Bosch
Sensortec offers an application board along with a BHI260AP shuttle board,
which can be wirelessly connected over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to
smartphones.
Availability
The BHI260AP self-learning AI sensor and the corresponding shuttle board
are available via Bosch Sensortec’s distributors.
