Verily Life Sciences LLC, the healthcare division of Alphabet Inc., may be working on a new wearable device.

Anonymous sources cited today by CNBC claimed that the group is developing a sensor-equipped shoe for tracking patient health. The device is reportedly capable of monitoring the wearer’s movements and weight, two metrics that can be useful for diagnosing medical issues.

Sudden weight changes are sometimes indicative of serious conditions such as heart disease. Likewise, the way a person moves can provide doctors with better insight into his or her well-being. IBM Corp. recently demonstrated how even the microscopic nail movements that occur when a person uses fingers can provide valuable data for medical professionals.

Another reported focus of Verily’s connected-shoe project is fall detection. It’s a logical use of the device’s movement tracking capabilities that could potentially pit the Alphabet subsidiary against Apple Inc. in the medical wearables market. The iPhone maker recently added a fall detection feature to the Apple Watch Series 4, which has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for certain healthcare applications.

Verily’s connected shoe is likely still a long way from FDA approval. CNBC’s sources indicated the device is in the prototype phase and said the Alphabet subsidiary has in recent months been looking for partners to help it bring a commercial version to market.

The project isn’t Verily’s first foray into hardware. Last month, the group announced that a homegrown smartwatch it has been using for clinical studies had received partial FDA clearance. Verily is also involved in a variety of other projects, including a multibillion-dollar collaboration with pharmaceutical giant AbbVie Inc. focused on developing new medicine.

The Alphabet subsidiary last month raised $1 billion from private equity firm Silver Lake and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan to support its activities. Verily plans, among other things, to explore potential acquisitions that could help speed up product development.   

Photo: Verily