So many healthcare applications on mobile devices can
certainly help us to organize a healthier diet. Generally, you only need to
enter the name of the dish you want to eat, and then the application will
retrieve information from its database and displays the number of calories you
consume.
In many cases, this method is considered quite effective.
However, the practicality factor is still debatable, especially because you
have to input each portion of food manually. What if there is other alternative
that can do the input task automatically?
A startup named Fitly seems to have an interesting solution,
they launch a smart device called SmartPlate through crowdfunding website,
Kickstarter.
Unlike the conventional plate, the SmartPlate has three
different partitions. Beneath the surface of each partition has been embedded
with weight sensors. But what make it so special are the three small cameras
tethered to each partition bulkhead wall.
The image captured by the camera will be processed by a
special object identifier algorithm to identify the type of food that's placed
in each partition. The SmartPlate then will pull information from an online
database in order to make the calculation of calories and other nutritional
content in the dish.
The developer claims that the SmartPlate algorithm accuracy
rate reaches nearly 100%, and even able to distinguish the wheat bread with
ordinary bread. Furthermore, SmartPlate doesn't only display the calorie
information on a small screen in the middle, but also forwards all the
information into the SmartPlate companion app in Android or iOS devices via
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
All of this takes place in a matter of seconds, and the best
part is you don't need to input anything manually. SmartPlate also comes with a
special lid so you can take it wherever you want, or warm it in the microwave.
SmartPlate hasn't entered the production phase. The
developer has targeted the funds goal about $ 100 thousand on the Kickstarter
page. Those who are interested, you can order the SmartPlate at a price of $
99, and $ 199 for the retail price - not including the cost of international
shipping.