How This Watch Could Help Save the Life of a Person Prone to Seizures
Despite how movies often portray them, seizures can be subtle, go unnoticed by onlookers or strike when a person is alone. But a new watch may help detect the unexpected and save a few lives in the process.
“The Embrace,” designed by computing company Empatica, monitors seizures, stress, activity and sleep. It can also send an alert to loved ones via their smartphones if its wearer has a seizure.
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“Our device is… designed to save lives for a lot of people with epilepsy,” Rosalind Picard, Chief Scientist at Empatica, explains in the video below.
Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder, according to The Epilepsy Foundation. The condition affects everyone from newborns to the elderly, so the Embrace works to help people of all ages.
The device measures both movement and physiological signals. It can be programmed to vibrate when its wearer’s stress levels are rising. A person can also access all of his or her health data through a supplementary app called Empatica Mate.
For every watch purchased, Empatica donates an additional one to a child who can’t afford it in a program called “Buy 1 Give 1.” Donated watches will be distributed through The Epilepsy Foundation.
You can now order an Embrace watch through its website for $199, but the estimated delivery date isn’t until December 2015.
Learn more in the video below:
Margaret is excited to join The Mighty team for the summer as an editorial intern. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. A California native, Margaret loves going to the beach. She studied abroad in London for the spring semester and has caught the travel bug. In her free time, Margaret enjoys working out, baking and spending time with her family.
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