Vanesia: Calorie counting as simple as snapping a photo of your meal
Will AI-powered food tracking soon become a thing? A new device called Vanesia is set to launch on Kickstarter, promising to make calorie counting as simple as snapping a photo of your meal.
As someone who’s been interested in fitness and nutrition for years, I’ve always found it relatively straightforward to estimate calorie expenditure. In fact, most wearables can give you a decent approximation based on your activity levels and heart rate. The real challenge, however, has always been accurately tracking calorie intake.
I’ve tried my fair share of meal logging apps over the years, but I’ve abandoned each one fairly quickly. The hassle of meticulously recording every meal and snack simply became too time-consuming and tedious to maintain after a while.
A few years back, a device called Healbe GoBe made waves by claiming to automatically track calorie intake. I had the opportunity to test it out, but remained unconvinced of its effectiveness. It did something, but the results often seemed random. User reviews were similarly lukewarm, suggesting that the technology wasn’t quite there yet.
Now, a new contender is about to enter the arena: Vanesia.
As simple as snapping a pic?
This AI-powered wearable device aims to simplify food tracking by using a built-in camera to capture images of your meals. The concept is straightforward: take a picture of your food, sync the device with your smartphone, and let the AI algorithm analyze the image to estimate calorie content and nutritional information.
Vanesia offers some interesting features that set it apart from previous attempts at automated food tracking. The device is designed to be worn as a pendant or wristband, weighing in at just 30 grams. It boasts an internal memory capable of storing thousands of images, a quick-charging Type-C port, and Wi-Fi connectivity for syncing with the companion app.
The company claims that users can get personalized feedback based on their food habits and lifestyle. This potentially makes it easier to improve your diet over time.
Can AI estimate calorie content and nutritional information from images alone? I am not sure if I am cautiously optimistic that it can, or slightly pessimistic.
Not the only player
It’s worth noting that Vanesia isn’t the only player eyeing this market. Rumors suggest that Oura Ring may soon introduce a similar feature for calorie intake tracking. But for its feature you are meant to use your smartphone to take the pic of your meal.
AI-powered image recognition certainly seems like a promising direction. It is a simple but great idea. However, we won’t know if it works until we see how such products perform in real-world conditions. Until these devices are launched and thoroughly tested by users, it’s difficult to comment on their effectiveness.
Essential reading: Best fitness trackers and health gadgets
For those interested in being early adopters, Vanesia is set to launch on Kickstarter soon, offering early backers a significant discount off the retail price. As always, it’s wise to approach crowdfunding campaigns with caution. There are no guarantees.
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