Photos: Intel's science fair

Intel's motion-sensor project is pretty sure that researcher Beverly Harrison is sitting or standing. The idea behind this project is to measure physical activity through sensors embedded in mobile devices like mobile phones. The sensors try to ascertain the type of activity by using sophisticated algorithms that track the movement of the sensor. Everyone's gait or bike-riding style is a little different, which accounts for the hedged bets the sensor is making. Since different types of activity burn different amounts of calories, the device could help people trying to lose weight to get a handle on how many calories they burn by, say, parking at the far end of the parking lot.