Bluetooth zeroes in on fitness and health gadgets

Bluetooth 4.0 technology is making inroads into a slew of fitness and health products, and consumers can expect the trend to only get hotter.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group is now forming a new Sports and Fitness Working Group, which aims to increase interoperability between wearable gadgets and sensors and so-called 'hub' devices such as smartphones, televisions, and gym equipment.

'That's a fairly natural fit for Bluetooth now,' writes technology blog Engadget, 'but it's taken until Bluetooth 4.0 for the standard to really emerge as a viable alternative to lower-power options like ANT+,' now used in heart rate monitors, for example.

Bluetooth fitness gadgets already on the market include the new MOTOACTV, a Bluetooth 4.0-enabled device that tracks time, distance, and calories burned. Plus the device stores hours of music listenable via wireless headphones. In addition, Nike introduced Nike+ FuelBand, a wristband that uses Bluetooth technology to automatically sync with your smartphone to track your fitness.

Bluetooth SIG member company Mosoro has also announced a Bluetooth Smart sensor that connects to a golf club and can instantly send information about your swing to a smartphone for real-time feedback on how to improve.

According to a press release, IMS Research forecasts more than 60 million Bluetooth enabled sports, fitness and health monitoring devices will ship between 2010 and 2015, most of which will be heart monitors (17.7 million), sports watches (7 million), and speed and distance monitors (2 million).