If you’re looking to shed a few unflattering pounds before beach season officially starts, or simply looking to get your child to be more active, this Pokémon-inspired pedometer could be a safe bet.
A new study conducted by Iowa State University tested the accuracy of several pedometers — including a standard DigiWalker and a Sensewear armband — and found this toy, inspired by the mega-selling Nintendo franchise, to be the most exact when it came to counting steps.
Lorraine Lanningham-Foster, an assistant professor of food science and nutrition, told The Gazette, “It’s very accurate and precise. So as a tool that can be used to actually change behavior and a child can use to truly understand and learn about how much they’re walking, it could be a good tool.”
How does it work? The Pokéwalker has a bite-sized digital pokémon that “follows” its wearer around over the course of the day, mimicking their steps through its built in pedometer.
Per our All-TIME 100 Gadgets list, “Studies conducted by Dr. Yashiro Hatano of Japan between 1965 and 1985 suggest that the optimal number of steps needed per day to balance caloric intake and physical expenditure is 10,000,” which now seems slightly more obtainable for a child trying to catch ’em all.
(via Kotaku, The Gazette)
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