It's Called the 'Fitbit for Farts'--and It's No Joke [View all]

As I type this, a battery-powered computer tucked in my, er, swimsuit area is monitoring for my next flatus. Yes, flatus means “fart.” Don’t judge me—it’s for science.

This sensing device, which would have been impossible to make until very recently, sits at the intersection of some of the most important technology trends of the past decade, including miniaturization, continuous monitoring and edge—as opposed to cloud—computing.

And the data it’s designed to collect could help the 40% of U.S. adults whose lives are regularly interrupted by digestive troubles. The frequency and volume of flatulence is a major reason people quit healthy, fiber-rich diets, which can be key to heading off gastrointestinal disorders and colon cancer.

One day, millions of Americans might wear sensors like this one, which I found surprisingly unobtrusive. Playfully referred to by its creators as a “Fitbit for farts,” it’s the core of the University of Maryland’s Human Flatus Atlas study. Developed using some of the same components found in smart rings and wireless earbuds, devices like this could eventually share a stage with blood-glucose monitors and heart-monitoring Apple Watches.


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https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/smart-underwear-gut-health-human-flatus-atlas-9ffa1bd7?st=gLrz8f&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

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