Most smartwatches and wearable devices on the market right now measure indicators such as steps and monitor quality and length sleep, but do not generally take medical-quality readings. A new wristband called the Embrace not only comes with the high-resolution gyroscopes, accelerometers, and temperature sensors, but also sensors that can measure electrodermal activity (EDA) -- a real-time indicator of stress.
Empatica, the startup behind the Embrace, launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign today. "Consumers will have fun seeing things that make their stress levels go up and down," says Rosalind Picard, a researcher at the MIT Media Lab and co-founder of Empatica, which has offices in Cambridge, Massachussetts, and Milan. "Yes, it goes up with music recitals, bullying, driving and arguments. But it also goes up with things that are fun and exciting. "It's real objective data, and you can see what calms a child with autism who is non-speaking or what stresses out your spouse.
It's very eye-opening."
The device has already been used to study stress, autism, epilepsy, PTSD, depression, and anxiety in clinical studies with Nasa, Intel, Microsoft, Stanford, Yale and many other academic institutions. One of the primary focuses of the Embrace is epilepsy. The combination of EDA and motion can be used to accurately detect convulsive seizures. The amplitude of the EDA signal during a seizure also indicates for how long parts of the brain shut down -- a long shutdown period appears in most unexpected cases of death following seizures. "Experts think that these deaths could have been prevented if an alert had been given," says Picard. "We can give this alert."
Electrodermal activity can also be used to measure mental states such as engagement. During a lecture, for example, audience EDA will go up as the show is about to begin, during a live demonstration or as the lecturer interacts with those watching. It will also reliably go down during long boring explanations and Powerpoint presentations, according to Picard. "Low EDA doesn't necessarily mean that the audience is not paying attention," she says. "The motion sensors on the Embrace can be used to measure fidgeting. Indeed, somebody should create an app to alert speakers to when their audience is fidgeting with low EDA."
The Embrace as it appears on Indiegogo today is the result of many different versions. In 2007, Picard first developed a sensor that measured EDA for people with autism, hence not only giving them feedback about their own stress but also allowing them to communicate their state to other people. "We started getting notes from parents and teachers," says Picard. "Families wanted to start using our technology to understand the stress of their children. To get a consumer product out, that meant completely redesigning our device. It's been through a lot of iterations."
Empatica's Indiegogo runs from today (19 November) until 24 December. It is hoping to raise $100,000 (£63,800) in total.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
