NEW YORK – Far from being an entertainment device, a new Bluetooth-enabled wristwatch will allow family members of the elderly to monitor their vital signs remotely.
The biosensor watch, called Exmocare, from New York-based Exmovere, which develops physiological sensor technologies, sends nearly real-time data on the wearer’s heart rate, pulse, and skin conductance. Probably the most sci-fi application is the ability to detect up to 10 different emotions, including relaxation, worry, and agitation, using algorithms and calculations from the fields of neuropsychology and biofeedback. The company says it can detect emotions with a 25% margin of error.
Each wristwatch includes Windows, Windows Mobile, and/or Pocket PC compatible software. It processes user-configured alerts to families and care providers by SMS, email and/or instant messenger. Easy-to-interpret taskbar emoticons and graphs at each care provider account display changes in the wearer’s emotional and physical activity.
Customers can sign up for subscription plans that in most cases come bundled with a pre-paid GSM Bluetooth cell phone for transmitting the data to an online account. The 36-month Exmocare plan includes both a pre-paid phone and a GPS car-kit to monitor elderly drivers.
The concept is to give older people a greater sense of mobility and independence, knowing that if something is out of the ordinary, a loved one will know and take action.
