MIT researchers have developed a thumbnail-mounted sensor that can be used as a wireless track pad, reports Marie Szaniszlo for the Boston Herald. The device, “puts Bluetooth and a battery into a package that you can stick to your fingernail and can send data wirelessly to your phone,” Szaniszlo explains.
Liz Stinson reports for Wired on a new wearable device that can predict seizures developed by the MIT spinoff Empatica. The device, dubbed Embrace, is the product of years of research by Professor Rosalind Picard and her team. “Like fitness-focused wearables, the device tells time and keeps tabs on metrics like physical activity and sleep,” Stinson explains.
Jennifer Hicks of Forbes writes that MIT startup Empatica has developed a wearable device that can monitor for epileptic seizures. The device contains “an event detector which sends an alert when the user’s electrodermal response reaches a pre set level they customize based on their history and health profile; and a diary app which helps monitor and manage everyday routines.”
Nidhi Subbaraman of BetaBoston writes that eyeMITRA, a new system developed by Professor Ramesh Raskar’s Camera Culture group, is a finalist in the Nokia Sensing XChallenge. The system monitors a wide range of health conditions by taking pictures of the retina. “Your eyes are a window into your health,” says Raskar.
Kris Anderson reports for WHDH on MindRider, a bike helmet developed by a team at MIT that monitors the rider’s stress levels while also tracking location. "By mapping your community, you can really grow the safety and your own ridership in your town," said project leader Arlene Ducao.
Shira Springer interviews Dr. Kim Blair, founding director of MIT’s Sports Innovation Program, for this Boston Globe article on wearable technology for athletes. “When wearables become ubiquitous and part of our lives, that’s when they’ve really arrived,” said Blair.
Popular Science reporter Emily Gertz highlights the “SuperShoes” developed by Dhairya Dand. The shoe’s insoles include small motors that tickle the wearer’s toes to indicate which direction to walk.