Tag: vitals

Categories
Health and Wellness Sensors/IoT

MOCAheart looks after vitals, lets you check up on loved one’s hearts

Health monitors that send information to smartphones are becoming increasingly popular. It’s an easy way to collect important data and send off to doctors if need be. They also provide a way to track patterns and trends, hopefully catching harmful conditions early on so they don’t get worse.

MOCAheart is one such monitor. This small metal sensor about the size of a contact lens holder measures heart rate (bpm) and oxygen levels in the blood and sends such data to its accompanying smartphone app. With this information it generates the MOCA index, a number that tells you how you’re doing. Zero is low, but still okay. One is normal, two is slightly high, at three they recommend you make a doctor’s appointment and four means you should seek immediate medical attention.

In addition to monitoring your own health, MOCA hooks up with other MOCAheart owners through the app. This way, you can monitor the health of loved ones. The app also allows users to put notes next to their readings, like one man does in the campaign, saying that his vitals show he’s stressed because he has to work late. It also records the date and weather of each reading, demonstrating how lifestyle can affect blood pressure.

MOCAheart joins scores of other health devices that make monitoring one’s health super easy. The size of the sensor itself makes it convenient to carry around and the two touch method of reading vitals is too simple to mess up. Perhaps the best part, though, is the ability to check up on loved ones. This seems great for younger generations making sure their elderly parents or grandparents are okay. Though this could get annoying after a while, however productive. Backers can own their own for a donation of $99 with delivery in April 2015. MOCAheart is looking to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Health and Wellness Smartwatches/Bands

Embrace smartwatch watches out for epilepsy, other conditions

There are lots of smartphone apps out there that measure our health. When the necessary information is put in, the app interprets high levels of stress, not enough sleep or other detrimental health effects. The one huge flaw with this model, however, is that the app assumes the information it’s given is correct. It’s difficult for people to measure their own vital signs if they’re not doctors.

Embrace cuts out the guesswork. This smartwatch monitors health and then relays that information to an accompanying app so that the data it provides is accurate. Embrace looks at sleep patterns, heart rate, stress levels and is especially adept at helping those with epilepsy. For parents or spouses who have loved ones with epilepsy, they too can wear an Embrace. When a seizure starts, the information is given to the app which will then alert designated caregivers that help is needed.

Embrace comes in different colors and two sizes: large for adults and small for kids. Best of all, the campaign is matching each smartwatch purchased 1:1. That means that for every Embrace given to a backer, one will be given to a child in need with epilepsy. The body of the watch is medical grade, but the band is Italian leather, secured with a magnet.

This smartwatch takes the very idea of a smartwatch even further. Most focus on receiving texts or e-mails or even monitoring run times. Embrace serves a bigger purpose by monitoring help and has the potential to save lives. Other than the fact that the magnet may not be the best securing method for a watch, Embrace sets itself apart from other frivolous smartwatches. Backers can have their very own for a donation of $189 for delivery in July 2015. Embrace hopes to raise $100,000 on Indiegogo.

Categories
Health and Wellness Sensors/IoT

Darma smart seat cushion reminds you to take a stand

Back pain, poor posture and lots of lazing around are realities for many folks. Each one of these problems feeds into the other, so it’s hard to break the cycle of discomfort. Darma is a smart seat cushion that doubles as your posture coach. It monitors your sitting habits, posture, breath, and heart rate to give you helpful tips. If you’re slouching, Darma tells you to sit up straight through a smartphone alert. When your heart rate is high indicating stress, it suggests taking a walk to calm down. Similarly, if you’ve been sitting too long, Darma advises taking standing breaks.

Best of all, by collecting data about you specifically, it can give you customized stretches that will alleviate the pain present in different parts of your body. Designed with sleek black leather, it’s unobtrusive and will blend in well with your office chair. One will cost backers a $189 donation on Kickstarter.

Darma is an interesting new take on the type smartphone-powered health assistance we’ve seen a lot of recently. Most of these devices are wearables in the form of clip-ons or bracelets. While we’ve seen previous products aimed at improving posture, Darma blends into its surroundings. The constant alerts may prove to be annoying at first, like a nagging mother telling you to sit up straight. However, the long term health benefits will likely be worth the hassle. All in all, Darma is a great solution for the sedentary and actually one of the least obtrusive solutions to too much sitting.