Human powered gyms are ones in which equipment can be used to generate electricity. Since the concept of a green or sustainable gym is recent, the potential of cardio equipment like treadmills, stationary bikes and rowing machines in generating energy are discussed in this paper. The power generated in a typical human powered gym, based on the equipment already existing in the market is analyzed. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions saved and the payback period for implementing this gym are also estimated. A survey was carried out to better understand how people would react to the presence of such gym. It was found that the energy-producing equipment in the gym not only benefit environmentally but also economically in the long run.

Weight measurements are part of current medical care for congestive heart failure (CHF) patients. In this work, we explore the potential of shoe-mounted pressure sensors to automatically and remotely estimate the weight of CHF patients. We show that weight estimation accuracy degrades due to human subject movement. Moreover, we show that for a standing human subject the accuracy is influenced by the characteristic of the sensor used to measure pressure. Our experimental evaluation of various pressure sensors widely used in wearable applications reveals that they exhibit properties that are undesirable for precise weight measurements.

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