HELSINKI (AP) – After the smartphone and fitness bracelet, here comes the smart ring. And the smart pacifier, and smart rollator.
“Wellness” computers that monitor your pulse, temperature and other health indicators are becoming increasingly sophisticated and varied to cover every aspect – and age – of human life.
Some products, like the ring by Finnish startup Ouraring, are specialized in optimizing physical training by tracking sleep patterns and physical activity. Others are looking to fit into health care services, such as in developed countries that are struggling to cope with aging populations.
Health gadgets took the limelight at this week’s Slush fair, a gathering of technology startups that has drawn 800 investors and an estimated 15,000 participants worldwide.
Lasse Leppakorpi, the founder and CEO of Beddit, a startup specializing in sleep-monitoring equipment, says new gadgets will increasingly change the role of doctors to becoming “consultants and experts” for people concerned about their well-being.