Heart Rate, GPS, and OAuth 2.0 Update

[JeremiahFitbit]

We know that many of you are eager to start using the heart rate and location data from the latest Fitbit trackers. These will be released when our OAuth 2.0 beta is available.

Q. What type of heart rate data will be available via the API?
Heart rate data takes several forms:

• resting heart rate (one value per day)
• a daily summary that includes a sum of minutes spent and calories burned in each heart rate zone
• a second-level time series (Partner API feature)

Q. What type of GPS data will be available via the API?
GPS location data is recorded only when a user tracks an outdoor exercise activity. GPS and heart rate data during an exercise activity will be available in the form of a TCX file.

Q. When will these features be released?
These features are still be developed and tested. Beta access will be available on Thursday, May 7, 2015. It's here! See the announcement

We will update this page when we have more information. We know that you’re as excited about these features as we are and we can’t wait to share them with you when they’re ready.

Q. But I want it now! Can you give me another update??? TELL ME!
We will update this post when we have more information to share. If it’s not updated, we don’t have anything to share yet.

Q. Can I get early access?
No, the public beta will be the earliest access available.

However, TCX export is available today on the activity details page. It contains GPS and heart rate data (when available) for the duration of the activity.

[dakaugu]

So if I want to get the continuous heart rate value from a fitbit charge hr to my app, this isn't possible with the new api?

[JeremiahFitbit]

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@dakaugu wrote:

So if I want to get the continuous heart rate value from a fitbit charge hr to my app, this isn't possible with the new api?

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If you're referring to live readings from the device via Bluetooth, no, that is not possible. Fitbit currently only has a Web API. Data must be uploaded from the device before the data is available via the Fitbit Web API.

[antikewl]

Just tried manually uploading my last run's tcx file to Strava and it matched pretty well. The map is still off, but the numbers are close (except elevation, obviously, because that's determined by the Surge's inaccurate map) and it's good to finally see HR data on a Strava run.

Now that this data is available, when will we see an automated Strava data sync?

[blaine]

This is great news, but my tcx file has no useful information. Is this because I'm only using a Charge HR -- that is I have no GPS data? I expeced to get a value for resting HR value and a summary of time in various HR zones, etc. Perhaps the problem is that the workouts I just exported were from last week and support was incomplete then. Is that possible?

Apart from export, the values for resting HR are bewildering, althugh the trends are useful. Will finer grain measurements be available at any point?

The closer exported and displayed data is to raw data, the more useful it will be.

[derekm]

"a second-level time series (Partner API feature)" 

Is this a typo, shouldn't it be minute-level? 

[Michael]

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@derekm wrote:

"a second-level time series (Partner API feature)" 

Is this a typo, shouldn't it be minute-level? 

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@derekm Why wouldn't it be second level? They record data every 5 seconds most of the time, and every second during tracked activities. I know I want whatever they have.

[derekm]

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@Michael wrote:

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@derekm wrote:

"a second-level time series (Partner API feature)" 

Is this a typo, shouldn't it be minute-level? 

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@derekm Why wouldn't it be second level? They record data every 5 seconds most of the time, and every second during tracked activities. I know I want whatever they have.

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@Michael It might, though I suspect that the data is aggregated into minute-level data while it's still on the device, otherwise you would reduce the amount of data the device can hold by between 10 and 60 times. 

[Michael]

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@derekm wrote:

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@Michael  I suspect that the data is aggregated into minute-level data while it's still on the device, otherwise you would reduce the amount of data the device can hold by between 10 and 60 times. 

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I don't think it is, as when you track an exercise you can currently see it down to second level on the graphs on the web site. (That and the fact that they say it is going to be a second level API.)

All they have to do is put enough memory to hold the data for the 7 days that they claim it can go between syncs. (And the 35 hours of GPS data for the Surge.)

[derekm]

@Michael, that's really cool then if seconds will be available. Lots of data points!

Edit: Yep, HeartRate and GPS are stored second level, others are minute-level: http://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-obtain-raw-data-files-from-a-Fitbit-chip

[JeremiahFitbit]

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@derekm wrote:

"a second-level time series (Partner API feature)" 

Is this a typo, shouldn't it be minute-level? 

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No. Heart rate is a second-level time series.

[JeremiahFitbit]

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@blaine wrote:

This is great news, but my tcx file has no useful information. Is this because I'm only using a Charge HR -- that is I have no GPS data? I expeced to get a value for resting HR value and a summary of time in various HR zones, etc. Perhaps the problem is that the workouts I just exported were from last week and support was incomplete then. Is that possible?

Apart from export, the values for resting HR are bewildering, althugh the trends are useful. Will finer grain measurements be available at any point?

The closer exported and displayed data is to raw data, the more useful it will be.

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The TCX format is a series of GPS trackpoints with other pieces of data attached to each trackpoint. If there are no GPS trackpoints, there is nothing to append the heart rate to. As stated above, there will be other Fitbit API endpoints related to heart rate data beyond TCX and these are not tied to GPS.

[afolarin]

Hi JeremiahFitbit,

I'm I mistaken, my understanding was heartrate data as displayed in the Fitbit app would be available (for example as provided by other trackers e.g. Basis Monitor). Analogous to the continuous feed of X_ACTIVE_MINUTES.

That the data comes in 'live' is not so important -- a degree of latency is fine, so no, I would not require bluetooth access to the device, but I do need the timeseries data! If I can't access the timeseries data, what is the process for partnership program access?

Thanks,

[JeremiahFitbit]

@afolarin Yes, there will be a second level time series. Please see https://wiki.fitbit.com/display/API/Fitbit+Partner+API for information on Partner API access.

[afolarin]

I refer to the "all day heart rate" as I read on your dev.fitbit wiki.. this to me really suggests you indicate the Heart Rate timeseries otherwise how can this be all day?

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Heart Rate, GPS, and OAuth 2.0 Coming Soon

Fitbit recently announced three exciting new products: Charge, Charge HR, and Surge. We're also excited to announce that the Fitbit API will provide access to the all day heart rate and GPS data from these devices. These data types will be accessible exclusively via OAuth 2.0. We'll be sharing more information about these new endpoints and our OAuth 2.0 transition in the coming months.

[JeremiahFitbit]

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@afolarin wrote:

I refer to the "all day heart rate" as I read on your dev.fitbit wiki.. this to me really suggests you indicate the Heart Rate timeseries otherwise how can this be all day?

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There are multiple ways that heart rate data is presented. A time series is times series data. There will also be a summary of the data collected for the day—resting heart rate value, time spent and calories burned in each heart rate zone, the standard and custom heart rate zone boundaries.

[afolarin]

It's a bit frustrating that this is not been made clear early on:

Can you provide indicative costs (and I presume there are costs) for the Partnership Program? I need to have some guidance figures here or it will be difficult for me to aproach the body that funds the research project.

[blaine]

I think bluetooth access is important, but first things first: Both
consumers of the API and end users of a product named Charge HR need access
to the time series.
--
/blaine

[JeremiahFitbit]

@afolarin This isn't a new policy. This is aligned with all other Fitbit time series data.  Follow the instructions on that wiki page to get more information on the Partner API.

[afolarin]

Not really. I have through the present API access a variety of time series data relating to activity (e.g. moderately active minutes), why the change in policy with heart rate? Or am I incorrect?