An Apple job posting has indicated that the company may be placing a strong focus on the study of biometrics in anticipation of the release of the Apple Watch, according to an AppleInsider article by Neil Hughes.The posting was for a position as a “Human Factors Anthropometry Engineer/Researcher” – anthropometry being the study of the human body’s metrics. That, of course, would naturally involve biometrics, and indeed, the posting notes that the position involves analysis of biometric and anthropometric measurements. Moreover, Hughes notes that Apple has recently hired a major sleep researcher and individuals from companies that make biometric sensors specializing in respiration, blood oxygen saturation, temperature, and other niche areas.
That kind of specialization, if applied to the Apple Watch, could make it competitive against some of the more sophisticated fitness-tracking devices on the market. It’s a prudent move, given the companies’ rivals attempts to pre-empt the Apple Watch with their own, similar devices, such as the Microsoft Band. Giving the Apple Watch advanced biometric capabilities would short-circuit rivals claims that their gadgets do health better.
Moreover, Apple already has a foot in the door with its HealthKit app. That app has already started to find pretty serious medical applications, and with more advanced metrics to work with, the program could blossom into something much more substantial.
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