Calorie counter count calories 24/7

U.S. students have designed a 24/7 calorie counter that computes calories even when people are sleeping.

Students at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta call the device — which measures and compares day-to-day physical and caloric activity — the HappyHR. The name is a reference to the euphoric feeling that follows an intense round of exercise — the happy hour — the students said.

It’s a completely converged device, project leader 21-year-old Garrett Langley, a senior in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said in a statement. It’s a single unit that provides complete fitness monitoring and management.

The small, rectangular-shaped instrument straps to the wrist or ankle, gathering data related to heart rate and exercise. The information is then transferred by Bluetooth to a personal computer, where the statistics can be analyzed through Web-based software.

The device focuses on calorie counting, but the designers said they envision more thorough health applications, including respiratory and glucose monitoring.