Bioengineers and cognitive scientists have developed the first portable, 64-channel wearable brain activity monitoring system that’s comparable to state-of-the-art equipment found in research laboratories.
A couple weeks ago Samsung affirmed its ongoing commitment to the digital health space with the release of the Bio-Processor. The Bio-Processor is a single, compact chip that is capable of measuring PPG, ECG, skin temperature, GSR, and body fat. While it’s already in mass production and anticipated to be found in devices soon, Samsung took some time during its CES press event to demonstrate the Bio-Processor’s power in a prototype device called the S-Patch.
Not a lot was said about the S-Patch, but it’s a reference platform and won’t enter production. Because the Bio-Processor is built into the S-Patch, both data collection, storage, and processing takes place on the device itself. The brief demo also showed the S-Patch wirelessly transmitting real-time data (we assume via Bluetooth) to a mobile device.
Insertables are here! They are a new class of devices that go literally under your skin! Heffernan, Vetere, and Chang from the University of Melbourne discuss what they are, what they could be used for, their risks and the challenges for the HCI community. Fascinating! @kaylajheffernan # insertables #hci # wearables
Sharing my recent posting that I did on Linkedin Pulse. I will admit that I purposely delayed this article in concerns of creating a panic; however, with the progress that has been occuring across the globe and in some cases accelerated the maturity of this technology; I believe it is time for governments, industries, etc. to start thinking about their own broader strategic plans around Quantum as well as how they will address any impacts.
Quantum Computing is making great progress in so many areas such as chips, network/ Internet, etc. each month. And, many industries such as financials, telecom, tech, and public sector namely defense and space, etc. have made big investments in this technology as well as have developed some interesting partnerships such as Wall Street. Everything looks so promising and exciting for our future when we look at the various ways how Quantum Computing can change our lives around AI, improving the medical technologies, how we interact with devices (wearables, VR, etc.), and even how we travel will advance through this technology. The future looks extremely rosy and bright; right?.
I believe it can be with Quantum; however, in every major shift/ disruption in technology, there is always a transformation progression that has to naturally occur thru stages. And, Quantum is no different; however, the disruption that Quantum will bring is going to be on a much more massive scale than what we have seen in the past. The reason why is Quantum is truly going to impact and improve every area of technology not just in devices, or a platform, AI, VR, etc.; I mean everything in technology will be changed and improved by Quantum over time.
Japanese company creates innovative new translation product. Decides to market it using the most cringeworthy video possible.
Intel’s collaboration with eyewear maker Luxottica will launch its first product later this year, with the release of special smart glasses designed for athletes.
Intel showed off the technology, which it called Radar Pace, on stage at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. The wearable tech will apparently be available in sunglasses made by the Luxottica-owned Oakley brand.
During a video and on-stage demo, Intel showed how the Oakley glasses, equipped with special earpieces on either side, allowed an athlete to quickly track workout information like the speed and distance travelled while running. The tech is entirely voice-activated. Unlike Google Glass, which requires that users swipe the side of the headset to do certain things, the Radar Pace technology lets the wearer do everything just by talking.
Image credit: iDigitalTrends
While the “Ice Bucket Challenge” raised millions to fuel research toward a cure for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), there are a number of assistive technologies already at work to help those currently affected by the disease. According to Alisa Brownlee, a clinical manager for the ALS Association, more assistive technologies and brain-computer-interfaces are on the way. At present, the largest hurdle is access.
Brownlee noted that the loss of communication is often the hardest part of ALS for someone to endure. As ALS is a progressive disease, there are several forms of assistive technology that are used based on a given patient’s physical status. Each form of that technology will work for awhile, but then patients will have to move on to something else as the disease progresses, she says.
Using computer access as one way to help maintain an ALS patient’s communication skills, ALS patients can transition to a track-ball mouse and on-screen keyboard in lieu of a standard computer mouse. From there, a person can use a head-mount, eye-gaze system, and even a tablet computer with a switch scanner.
Continue reading “How Assistive Technology Is Opening New Doors for ALS Patients” »
It’s a new resin.
Researchers at Panasonic PCRFY −0.78% in Japan have developed a new kind of resin that has the potential to make personal health electronics leaner and comfier.
The stretchy tech, announced by the company on Dec. 28, can be used as a base for electronic materials. Its physical properties makes electronics easier to apply to skin or clothing—like a Band-Aid or a tattoo, rather than a watch or a strap.
Samsung’s already wide product family is getting even bigger thanks to its new chip dubbed the “Samsung Bio-Processor.” As the company tells it, it’s already in mass production and is “specifically designed to allow accelerated development of innovative wearable products for consumers who are increasingly monitoring their health and fitness on a daily basis.” Phew. The announcement post goes on to say that the processor is the first all-in-one health solution chip and that since it’s packing a number of different control and sensor units (like a quintet of Analog Front Ends, a microcontroller unit, digital signal processor and eFlash memory) it can do all these tricks without the need for external processing.
The idea behind the silicon is to be the one-stop wearable fitness resource. Those five AFEs? One keeps track of bioelectrical impedance analysis, while the others focus on volumetric measurements of organs, an electrocardiogram and skin temperature, among other things. Bear in mind that Samsung’s latest smartwatch, the Gear S2, only tracks your heart rate. Same goes for the Apple Watch. Considering how err… interesting Samsung wearables tend to be, a possible scenario here is that the tech giant won’t keep the Bio-Processor all to itself. Nope, the real money here lies in potentially licensing it out to other folks, as it’s wont to do with its other self-made parts.
We won’t have to wait too long to see these in the wild, either: Samsung promises it’ll be packed into devices available early next year. If you’re wondering where, the inevitable follow-up to the aforementioned Gear S2 successor is a pretty likely bet. Whether that shows its face at CES or Mobile World Congress is the real question, though.
Scientists have developed a way to produce soft, flexible and stretchy electronic circuits and radio antennas by hand, simply by writing on specially designed sheets of material.
This technique could help people draw electronic devices into existence on demand for customized devices, researchers said in a new study describing the method.
Continue reading “‘Writable’ Circuits Could Let Scientists Draw Electronics into Existence” »
