Limitations of Energy Expenditure Calculation Based on a Mobile Phone Accelerometer

Sensors available in a mobile device, e.g., a smartphone, a smartwatch, or others, allow the capture of several signals, that may be used to the estimation of the energy expenditure. This paper describes the adaption of a previous research, using different signals and validated with a golden standard, consisting in the comparison between the units of the data acquired by a tri-axial accelerometer and an electromyography signal and the data collected by a mobile device accelerometer. The validation of the system showed that the energy expenditure may not be as correct as expected. The data related to this research is available in an open repository and the platform is available for testing. The creation of a validated method for the measurement of energy expenditure during physical activities capable for the implementation in a mobile application is an important issue to increase the confidence of the mobile applications in this market area.