A recent job listing indicates Apple is working on strain gauge sensors, likely as part of an effort to improve the Apple Watch’s strength training capabilities, says a report from MyHealthyApple.
A new job announcement from Apple’s Health Technologies team posted a couple of weeks ago is looking for engineers with “exposure to analog electronics, preferably mechatronic systems utilizing actuators, temperature sensors, strain gauges, and photodiodes.”
The candidate will help design, build, test, and troubleshoot early prototype health hardware. Apple is likely conducting this research and development in relation to the Apple Watch. Apple may be exploring strain gauges to understand biomechanics better and more easily to track the impact of various strength training exercises.
While current Apple Watch models already boast an actuator, temperature sensor, and photodiodes, they are not equipped with a strain gauge. As noted by MyHealthyApple strain gauge is a sensor for measuring variations in resistance when a force is applied, then converting those changes in electrical resistance into measurements.