gelLabs: youth wearables– what's out there: for infants
Check out our top picks for infant wearables currently on the market.MIMOhttp://mimobaby.com/mimo/The MIMO baby kimono is just about the cutest thing since sliced bread! It’s an organic baby onesie adorned with an adorable, non-contact, machine washable sensor that they call ‘Lilypad & Turtle’. The ‘Lilypad’ attaches to the outside of the onesie and the ‘Turtle’ of course rests on the lilypad. The Lilypad connects the Turtle to your home’s WiFi connection, and transmits information about your baby in real time to your smartphone app. This information includes: respiration, skin temperature, body position, and activity level.Lilypad also comes with a built-in microphone, so you can hear how you’re baby is doing-- anytime, anywhere—right from your smartphone. Within the app, you can obtain data in real-time, set alerts to let you know of any changes in the data, and allows you to view trends and patterns in your baby’s behaviors and body signals.How safe is it? Well, safety was one of the issues that are easily at the forefront in the minds of those from MIMO. For one, the data is transmitted through the Lilypad using infant-safe Bluetooth Low Energy. MIMO is also US-locally manufactured. Lilypad & Turtle are too big to be a choking hazard, and the materials used are completely chew-safe.The only thing here I can see that could be potentially problematic is the sheer bulk of it: I mean, it’s literally a huge…thing…attached to the outside of your baby’s onesie. Anyway, what’s exciting here is the potential. MIMO may be the first, but I’m sure it won’t be the last. And as with most things in technology, we can expect the proceeding devices to be smaller, smarter, and more stylish.Owlethttp://www.fastcodesign.com/3017180/the-owlet-baby-monitor-wearable-tech-for-infantsThis baby wearable is essentially a technological smart sock, which fits around your infant’s foot. It tracks your infants’ vitals such as heart rate, oxygen levels, temperature, and sleeping habits—which includes a roll-over alert that creates an audible alarm if the baby’s face turns down in the crib. The story regarding how this product came about is interesting: one of the creators is an uncle of twin infants, one of which suffers from cerebral palsy.Twins, who are often born immaturely, are particularly prone to health and developmental problems. Traditional baby monitors are great at relaying a child’s screams and cries, which can further indicate a problem that is already too late. The creator thought, ‘what if there was a way for you to be able to monitor the signs of health issues before they actually happen?’ and POOF, owlet was born.It’s appearance has often been referred to as a moon boot for babies. It rests around the food, covering the ankle, which is the most reliable spot for taking a pulse. It also features an adjustable strap that is malleable for about a year before it no longer will fit. This was strategically designed this way because it is believed to help keep the focus on infant health rather than other age groups.The implication of a device that can pre-recognize the signs of developmental catastrophe has enormous implications in the space of infant health. Perhaps certain instances of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome can even be avoided… who knows. It’s cute, it’s functional, it brings health and sanity to the family at large—we digg it!Smart Diapershttp://youtu.be/HvqfUbaoE2MThis wearable technology by Pixie Scientific is in the infant’s diaper that takes daily readings of the infant’s excrement patterns. It is displayed on the diapers like a QR code surrounded by little colorful squares. As the infant pees and/or poops, the colored squares become more and more clear and vibrant, alerting the parent that the diaper is ready with… data to be analyzed.The next step is simple—through a downloaded app on a smartphone, parents capture a photo of the QR on the diaper and wait. In minutes, the app creates an organized report of the infants’ pee and poopy habits, which can readily and prematurely detect certain kidney infections, onset of bladder infections, or even diabetes. Finally, be able to read the signs of discomfort before the screaming and crying commence.One of the most unique pieces of this technology is the ability to send data from smart diaper readings directly to your family doctor for a diagnoses, taking the pressure off all the worried parents of the world who are doing the best they can with what they can—which often isn’t much.Smart Diapers provide infants and moms with a line of communication that was, until now, just a painful and heartbreaking stream of screams and tears. Amazing. Can’t wait to see what the future of this technology will look like.
