BioRing – the fitness, stress and nutrient tracker on your finger

Nutrition and stress are both important but we are yet to see a company that has discovered an easy way to measure these vital components of your overall health and wellbeing. This may, however, all be about to change if a new wearable launched on Indiegogo delivers on its promises.

BioRing is a device that measures both nutrition and stress in addition to the standard activity tracking metrics, giving you a detailed breakdown of the food you are eating and helping you manage your weight.

The Scandinavian company’s ring is equipped with three sensors including a 3-axis accelerometer, a Bio-impedance sensor and an optical HR sensor. These sensors send raw data to the smartphone app, where the proprietary algorithm calculates: calorie, carbs, fat and protein intake; calorie, carbs and fat burn; heart rate; heart health; sleep level; water level; stress level; activity intensity; and distance and steps.

Quite an impressive list of features – one that the likes of Fitbit and Jawbone do not even come close to. But can this really work? It would be a game-changer if it did.

We saw a similar campaign a couple of years ago from a Russian outfit that launched Healbe. The device did eventually make it to the market – with very mixed reviews. From those that claimed it did not work, to those that were able to make sense of some of the data.

According to Indiegogo campaign information, BioRing measures calorie intake by using the wearable’s bio-impedance sensor. The explanation is as follows.

The food you eat primarily consists of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Carbs are broken down into glucose, which is transported into your cells with the help of insulin. When glucose enters your cells, your cells’ glucose levels elevate; meanwhile, your cells’ water levels reduce. The bio-impedance sensor measures these changes of fluid levels in your cells by sending electric signals with high and low frequencies, and reading the resistance from the tissues.

The sensor also measures how long your glucose level stays inflated and how long it takes to drop back to normal; this is your glucose curve. Fats and protein affect your glucose curve by flattening it. All readings obtained from the bio-impedance sensor are sent to the app which then churns out your calorie intake and glucose curve, and gives you a macro-nutrient breakdown of your food.

Just a few days into the campaign, the company has already raised $30,000 in funds. With a month to go, it is likely they will more than match their goal of $50,000. If you want to pledge your support, the ring will cost you around $200. It will be a bit of a wait until we find out whether the ring really works – delivery is scheduled for November.

Check out the video below for a quick overview of the features.

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