How does Sense 2 measure steps and floors?

[LOIj]

When I got my watch last July, and just trying it out, it was obvious to me that a watch on my arm measured arm movements not just "steps."    I've had previous pedometers which were more in tune with just steps, and some of that depended on how it was worn. But the count of those steps was perhaps half of what the FitBit "measures."  

Oh well, I can still get a decent number and do comparisons from day to day.  And I found that if I get the vibration at 10 minutes to the hour to remind me to get in more steps, I can just wave my arm around to accomplish that! 

I've wondered how the Sense2 knows when I go up stairs.  Someone on this forum answered that for me once and said that it measures altitude goin up.  Nope, not hardly!  I am disabled and doing Stairs is a slow struggle for me.  It is a rare day that my app shows any "floors."  There are maybe 5 or 8 each month shown.  I live in a 2 story house with a basement.  Obvious I go up and down each day at least twice, slowly, most often several times each day. 

Last night the app showed I climbed the stairs at 3 a.m.  I wasn't even up at 3 a.m. and I was already upstairs, sleeping. 

A few months ago, I was at a restaurant and walked up a fairly steep road to the hotel. The app clearly showed that I gained altitude, ie gained floors. 

This isn't an important issue,  mostly a curiosity.

Moderator edit: clarified subject.

[LZeeW]

@LOIj    Fitbits count floors because they have a small piece of hardware called a relative altimeter.  It measures a very small drop in barometric pressure as you go up.  It counts a “floor” with an about a10 ft (9 m) increase in altitude.  So it will count floors going up hills.  The thing about real stairs in your house is that you must do up in a smooth, continuous movement.  But it can count a floor from other drops in barometric pressure.  I get them at work when I walk through the hallway fire doors.  Not exactly sure how you got that floor, but it isn’t uncommon.

[Guy_]

Hi @LOIj  - you are correct about steps, the watch does measure movements, however small, it's quite sensitive.

But it filters out random movements, slightly differently depending on the dominant setting.

All in all the minute movement count does equate to a certain amount of energy consumed which is the measure of activity, rather than distance (done by calculating actual steps).

The idea of 250 steps per hour is to ensure a certain level of activity on a regular basis.

If you use a clock face, such as SimpleClockPro, it will remind you to move several times per hour, as well as show you how many steps left to do to reach the goal, and how many active hours you achieved on the watch face.

A walk (measuring actual steps) is done by counting continuous arm movements which does match steps naturally well over a long distance. The distance for a whole day though is an equivalence.

As for floors, the inbuilt pressure sensor measures changes in pressure, but the changes only count as floors if accompanied by a certain number of consistent steps, which is the key.

You may be able to very slightly improve floor count by using the non dominant setting providing you are able to still get sufficient steps in while going upstairs.

Bear in mind, pushing a trolley or holding the bannisters may stop it counting the requisite steps, in the case for floors.

[LOIj]

Thank you.  Interesting and helpful. I may try to see if any dramatic weather changes affect the floors shown.  I don't seem to get any notices if a floor is registered. I just noticed it later in the day.

[Guy_]

Thanks @LOIj - SimpleClockPro also shows floors on the main display so you can easily follow it live as soon as it is recorded.

The actual count of floors is only informative, it doesn't affect any other measurements.

[LOIj]

Good details!  Yes, I've wondered if hanging onto the railing going up stairs makes less movement info go to the system.  Ditto when I use a shopping cart, which I like to do in a big store because it is better exercise for me.

  I just walk slowly due to having had 2 back surgeries and neuropathy, also balance issues. Stairs are the worst.  I try to use the watch reminder so I don't sit too long.  I used to do the stairs as an good indoor quick exercise.  But now I have A.S. [Ageing Sucks.]  

I will look at the clock face to see if it tells me what I need.  

ASIDE:  I think some kind of watch/app update may have occurred to change the frequency of the syncing.  For about a month, it seemed to sync perhaps every hour, but the last several days, it appears to be much more often. For sure, the sync is more accurate than it was last fall.

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Thank you. I Just now downloaded the SimpleClockPro to my phone, so I don't know much yet.  I see you are the designer!  I will look at the details and see if I can get what I want to see easily.  I had a minor eye surgery this afternoon, so too much to read right now, but I saved the directions link.