Health and wellness tech is a rapidly growing category as many of us look not only to lose weight or be more fit, but also live overall healthier lifestyles. Some of the devices at CES 2020 that fall into the health and wellness category are designed to address specific medical issues while others are meant to help proactively help you monitor your health. Here are just a few particularly interesting ones we saw on the show floor.
Smart Belt Pro
This smart belt looks like any other traditional Italian leather belt. But look on the side of the buckle and you’ll notice a tiny microUSB port. That is because the belt is actually Bluetooth-enabled, working with an app to report details to you. Alongside basics like activity level and steps, it provides gait analysis to help you proactively determine your fall risk assessment. It looks at how much you lean to one side when you walk, for example, or if you have a lag in between your steps. If you deviate from your baseline, it will notify you that it detects something off. It’s a great way to determine if you might have an issue before it turns into a risky fall. The belt also monitors your waist circumference so you can keep track of your weight. There are styles for both men and women in about eight different colours and patterns, all made from imported Italian leather. The battery lasts about 50 days per charge, and the belts will be available sometime in April.
Motion Pillow
The first generation of this pillow launched last year, with an aim to help combat snoring. It has four air ducts connected by a tube to a solution box that has a microphone and an air pump. It releases pressure when you lie down and when you snore, it picks up your frequencies and pushes air up to inflate the pillow ever so slightly. The idea is to prompt the snoring sleeper to shift their head position and open their airways.
You can view sleeping stats in the app, seeing your daily, weekly, and monthly stats, how many times the pillow had to inflate, and even hear audio of you snoring to see how severe it was. You can also use the app to adjust inflation levels. The generation 2 version, which will launchin April, removed the power button from the solution box so it just automatically activates as needed. The box also doubles as a wireless phone charger on your nightstand.
Olive Smart Ear
This device for those who are hard of hearing is designed to help take the stigma away from wearing hearing aids. It looks more like a tiny true wireless earbud than it does a hearing aid. Pop it into your ear and it will provide different sounds through the partner app so you can customize the listening experience to you. You can access the app any time to adjust the levels, including removing certain ambient sounds, increasing (or decreasing) sensitivity and levels based on your surroundings, and more. It offers up to 7 hours of listening time and charges in a compact, pocket-sized charging case that can keep it charged all day. You can also useto make and receive phone calls via Bluetooth connection.
Glutrac Smartwatch
A smartwatch designed for those who suffer from diabetes, or simply want to monitor their glucose levels because they are pre-diabetic, it requires only that you wear a wristband. Sold currently as a consumer device (this is not a medical device), it continuously monitors your blood glucose levels, heart rate, blood oxygen, respiration rate, activity, and sleep quality, all of which is stored in, and can be shared from, the partner app. It collects signals detected from the blood and interstitial fluid then calculates blood glucose levels through signal processing algorithms and AI. The app, available only for Android devices, also offers features like diabeticcoaching services, customized diet and exercise plans, and more.
Omron Connect and New App Features
The Omron Connect launched last May as the first blood pressure monitor to include EKG readings in the same device. And while the company didn’t show any new devices at CES, there have been several upgrades to the companion app that provide more details and actionable insights for users. Through Omron Connect 2.0, whichi s set to launch this summer, owners of compatible devices, including the Connect, will be able to get access to more health insights, real-time coaching, and incentives for making positive changes to their behaviours. It will represent a merging of Omron’s two main apps today, HeartAdvisor and Omron Connect. It will also include the option to sync daya with the Apple Health and Google Fit platforms so you can combine data about your heart health with your activity levels and sleep quality. Those who subscribe to the premium option can get personalized coaching from medical experts, and heart health report cards with rewards.
Withings ScanWatch
This eye-catching smartwatch, which we covered in a previous CES 2020 article, is worth including here because it was one of the most talked about health tech devices at the show. Designed to look like a standard analog wristwatch, it can measure all of the things you would expect a premium smartwatch to measure these days, including activity, steps, sleep, and heart rate. But it can also measure for Afib and sleep apnea through two sensors on the underside. Press and hold buttons on either side for 30 seconds and you’ll get a reading that reports if an irregular heart rhythm is detected through ECG, telling you if your heart rhythm is slow, normal, or high. An Sp02 senosr, meanwhile, detects any episodes that could suggest sleep apnea and reports them to you in the app. While the face is mostly analog, there is a tiny digital screen where you can scroll through settings (using the digital crown on the side), see incoming calls and messages, and your health data. A small sub-dial, meanwhile, shows your progress toward reaching daily step count goals. Housed in a waterproof design with a stainless steel case and sapphire glass watch face, it will be available in Europe and the U.S. in the second quarter of this year with 38mm or 42mm band options. No word yet on when it might make its way to Canada.
Check out more great news about the latest and greatest in tech from CES 2020 on the Best Buy Blog.
