The year 2020 has been a blockbuster year for wearables. Mobility solutions and wearable warehouse technology are not new, but the level of sophistication delivered by them is helping warehouse managers re-invent their operations and achieve new levels of efficiency and productivity.

Read more Life-Saving Wearable Devices that Boost Safety for Construction Workers

Warehouse mobility solutions include wearable scanners, smartphones, vehicle-mounted computers, tablets, and mobile printers that allow warehouse workers to freely move around their workplace and remain fully connected regardless of location.

By delivering an uninterrupted flow of information across the business and the supply chain in real-time, mobility solutions and wearables have become part of standard warehouse operations.

Wearable mobile computers, often referred to as wearable terminals, offer a robust, hands-free tech solution that enables warehouse workers the freedom to focus on the job in-hand.

Prior to the pandemic, the Zebra Warehousing Vision Study found that 62% of warehouse operators said they planned to upgrade or add wearable mobile computers by 2022, reports DCVelocity.

Designed for workers in the warehousing and logistics industries, wearable mobile computers help to effectively streamline operations, while at the same time reduce human error.

Benefits of Wearable Mobile Computer

• Lightweight solutions
• Durability
• Increased productivity
• Multi-tasking
• Accuracy

These wearable terminals can be easily worn on the wrist or the work belt. They help workers to do their job hands-free and focus on the job clear of any obstructions.

Some Examples of Wearable Mobile Computers

Zebra’s WT6000 wearable computer gives workers a lightweight, hands-free device they can wear on their wrist and forearm. Its industrial rugged design delivers maximum uptime in your most demanding environments. It allows workers to access warehousing software, pick lists, orders, and labeling with the touch of a screen.

Read more How Wearable Technology Could Revolutionize Manufacturing Industry

ProGlove’s wearable ‘Reel’ barcode scanner provides contactless scan. The company’s MARK Display scanner untethers workers from paper, from hand-held devices, and from static work-stations while keeping crucial information with workers at all times.

The year 2020 has been a blockbuster year for wearables. Mobility solutions and wearable warehouse technology are not new, but the level of sophistication delivered by them is helping warehouse managers re-invent their operations and achieve new levels of efficiency and productivity.

Read more: Life-Saving Wearable Devices that Boost Safety for Construction Workers

Warehouse mobility solutions include wearable scanners, smartphones, vehicle-mounted computers, tablets, and mobile printers that allow warehouse workers to freely move around their workplace and remain fully connected regardless of location.

By delivering an uninterrupted flow of information across the business and the supply chain in real-time, mobility solutions and wearables have become part of standard warehouse operations.

Wearable mobile computers, often referred to as wearable terminals, offer a robust, hands-free tech solution that enables warehouse workers the freedom to focus on the job in-hand.

Prior to the pandemic, the Zebra Warehousing Vision Study found that 62% of warehouse operators said they planned to upgrade or add wearable mobile computers by 2022, reports DCVelocity.

Designed for workers in the warehousing and logistics industries, wearable mobile computers help to effectively streamline operations, while at the same time reduce human error.

Benefits of Wearable Mobile Computer

• Lightweight solutions
• Durability
• Increased productivity
• Multi-tasking
• Accuracy

These wearable terminals can be easily worn on the wrist or the work belt. They help workers to do their job hands-free and focus on the job clear of any obstructions.

Some Examples of Wearable Mobile Computers

Zebra’s WT6000 wearable computer gives workers a lightweight, hands-free device they can wear on their wrist and forearm. Its industrial rugged design delivers maximum uptime in your most demanding environments. It allows workers to access warehousing software, pick lists, orders, and labeling with the touch of a screen.

Read more: How Wearable Technology Could Revolutionize Manufacturing Industry

ProGlove’s wearable ‘Reel’ barcode scanner provides contactless scan. The company’s MARK Display scanner untethers workers from paper, from hand-held devices, and from static work-stations while keeping crucial information with workers at all times.

A stretchable system that can harvest energy from human breathing and motion for use in wearable health-monitoring devices may be possible, according to an international team of researchers, led by Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in Penn State's Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics.

The research team, with members from Penn State and Minjiang University and Nanjing University, both in China, recently published its results in Nano Energy, reports Penn State News.

According to Cheng, current versions of batteries and supercapacitors powering wearable and stretchable health-monitoring and diagnostic devices have many shortcomings, including low energy density and limited stretchability.

“This is something quite different than what we have worked on before, but it is a vital part of the equation,” Cheng said, noting that his research group and collaborators tend to focus on developing the sensors in wearable devices. “While working on gas sensors and other wearable devices, we always need to combine these devices with a battery for powering. Using micro-supercapacitors gives us the ability to self-power the sensor without the need for a battery.”

Read more: Researchers Develop Wearable Textile That Harnesses Solar Energy And Converts Them Into Electrical Energy

An alternative to batteries, micro-supercapacitors are energy storage devices that can complement or replace lithium-ion batteries in wearable devices. Micro-supercapacitors have a small footprint, high power density, and the ability to charge and discharge quickly. However, according to Cheng, when fabricated for wearable devices, conventional micro-supercapacitors have a “sandwich-like” stacked geometry that displays poor flexibility, long ion diffusion distances and a complex integration process when combined with wearable electronics.

This led Cheng and his team to explore alternative device architectures and integration processes to advance the use of micro-supercapacitors in wearable devices. They found that arranging micro-supercapacitor cells in a serpentine, island-bridge layout allows the configuration to stretch and bend at the bridges, while reducing deformation of the micro-supercapacitors — the islands. When combined, the structure becomes what the researchers refer to as "micro-supercapacitors arrays."

“By using an island-bridge design when connecting cells, the micro-supercapacitor arrays displayed increased stretchability and allowed for adjustable voltage outputs,” Cheng said. “This allows the system to be reversibly stretched up to 100%.”

By using non-layered, ultrathin zinc-phosphorus nanosheets and 3D laser-induced graphene foam — a highly porous, self-heating nanomaterial — to construct the island-bridge design of the cells, Cheng and his team saw drastic improvements in electric conductivity and the number of absorbed charged ions. This proved that these micro-supercapacitor arrays can charge and discharge efficiently and store the energy needed to power a wearable device.

The researchers also integrated the system with a triboelectric nanogenerator, an emerging technology that converts mechanical movement to electrical energy. This combination created a self-powered system.

“When we have this wireless charging module that’s based on the triboelectric nanogenerator, we can harvest energy based on motion, such as bending your elbow or breathing and speaking,” Cheng said. “We are able to use these everyday human motions to charge the micro-supercapacitors.”

By combining this integrated system with a graphene-based strain sensor, the energy-storing micro-supercapacitor arrays — charged by the triboelectric nanogenerators — are able to power the sensor, Cheng said, showing the potential for this system to power wearable, stretchable devices.

Read more: Energy Harvesting Nanogenerators Offer New Option For Monitoring Health

Other researchers on this project were Cheng Zeng, assistant professor; Zhixiang Peng, research assistant; Chao Xing, associate professor; Huaming Chen, associate professor; Chunlei Huang, assistant professor, and Jun Wang, professor, all at Minjiang University; Bingwen Zhang, assistant professor at the Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Marine Sensing Materials at Minjiang University; and Shaolong Tang, professor of physics, Nanjing University.

Theranica, a prescribed digital therapeutics company developing advanced electroceuticals for migraine and other pain conditions, announced that a new peer-reviewed systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that remote electrical neuromodulation (REN) was the only neuromodulation-based acute migraine treatment with sufficient clinical evidence to conclude that it is effective.

Read more: Wearable Sensor Cannot Accurately Detect Migraine Attacks Beforehand, Reveals Small Finnish Study

“As non-invasive neuromodulation is an emerging field in the treatment of migraine, an unbiased systemic review was important to understand what may really be benefitting patients,” said Prof. Stephen Silberstein, MD, director of the Headache Center at the Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. “While the industry should conduct more studies to understand the potential of neuromodulation for migraine treatment, this study certainly helps comparing between the different emerging techniques. REN, based on triggering conditioned pain modulation, stands out with very promising results for acute migraine treatment.”

The research, published in The Journal of Headache and Pain, a peer-reviewed journal affiliated with the European Headache Federation, looked at 38 available peer-reviewed articles studying the effect of neuromodulation treatment on migraine patients. Seven of the studies focused on acute treatment and the ability of different devices to deliver either pain relief or pain freedom at two hours. Secondary outcomes were assessed by improvement in the quality of life, the need for rescue medication and the Patient Global Impression of Change Score, according to a press release.

“Theranica is strongly committed to high-quality clinical research, as evidenced in this study,” said Dagan Harris, Ph.D., Theranica's vice president of clinical and regulatory affairs. “We are proud to have designed Nerivio such that it stands out as the one neuromodulation method noted as effective and intend to continue exploring REN's ability to bring relief to people living with migraine and other pain conditions. Our high standards of clinical development allow us to improve the Nerivio experience, from the treatment to the accompanying software, for a large community that deserves a safe and effective solution.”

Read more: New Startups and Innovations Helping Migraine Sufferers with Treatment and Care

Nerivio is a prescribed therapeutic wearable that deploys REN to activate the body's native conditioned pain modulation mechanism to treat the pain, aura, and associated symptoms caused by migraine. It is worn on the upper arm and controlled through an app on a patient's smartphone that also serves as a migraine diary.

The global Wearable Medical Devices market size is expected to reach USD 85.6 billion by 2027 according to a new study by Polaris Market Research. The report gives a detailed insight into current market dynamics and provides analysis of future market growth.

Read more: Wearables Market Will Reach $97.9 Billion by 2025, Reveals Yole Report

Wearable medical devices are defined as autonomous devices worn by the individual to provide medical or fitness monitoring and support over a period of time. They are either worn as a body accessory or being embedded in cloth or shoes. They incorporate non-invasive sensors, wireless transmission, real-time data processing capabilities, and also provide medical feedback, reports Polaris Market Research.

Recent developments in wearable medical devices include alert mechanisms, decision support systems, and real-time analysis. These wearables offer a point of care, and remote management for rehabilitating individuals, disabled and chronically ill.

The prominent factors favoring the wearable medical devices market growth include an increase in the prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases, consumer awareness towards fitness, and advancement in technology and medical innovation with an ever-increasing interest of consumer electronic companies. The high prevalence of diabetes is an important driver boosting market growth.

With a spike in infectious diseases over the past decade, the Stanford Healthcare Innovation Lab (SHIL) set up a team to study the impact of wearables to track infectious diseases. Moreover, in April 2020, Scripps Research Translational Institute (SRTI) launched DETECT, under which data from activity trackers and smartwatches would be integrated into public health surveillance program for proactive disease tracking and population health programs.

Key Players operating in the Wearable Medical Devices market are Medtronic plc, OMRON Corp., Biotelemetry Inc., Apple, Inc., Koninklijke Philips, Dexcom Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Verily Life Sciences, GE Healthcare, Bio-Beat Technologies, Masimo Corporation, iRhythm Technologies, Inc., Preventice Solutions, Inc., CONTEC Medical Systems Co. Ltd, VitalConnect, Minttihealth, Biotricity Inc., Cyrcadia Asia Limited., Garmin Ltd, Xiaomi Technologies, ten3T healthcare, Fitbit, Inc., and Huawei Corporation.

Read more: Medical Wearables Market Will Reach $19.5 Billion by 2025, Reports MarketsandMarkets

Developers are focusing on developing low-cost wearable accessible to all strata of the population within the geographic footprint. In line with this, India based Muse Wearables is manufacturing a wrist-based wearable tracker at a cost of INR 3,500. With this, it will continuously monitor skin temperature, blood O2 saturation levels, and heart rate to track body vital signs to diagnose COVID-19 symptoms in the early stages.

Arduino and Seeed have collaborated to produce the Arduino Sensor Kit. The Arduino STEM kit is based on the Arduino UNO.

Read more: NextMind Starts Shipping its DevKit for Real-Time Brain-Sensing Wearable

Aimed at those getting started with electronics and sensors, the STEM Education Kit is the perfect choice for beginners to learn Arduino, electronics, and program. More than 14 kinds of sensors provide detailed tutorials for each sensor, designed especially for beginners.

“Ideal for anyone who currently uses an Arduino UNO board and wants to create and launch their own D.I.Y projects, the kit integrates the 10 most popular Grove sensors and actuators all on one board. Users can plug, sketch and play without any additional wiring required or learning how to solder. It is, however, also great for more advanced users who wish to reduce time on circuitry and build quickly,” reports Electronics Weekly.

The Arduino Sensor Kit teaches how to connect and program basic Grove modules that include both sensors and actuators along with the Arduino Uno (or other Arduino Boards with the same form factor), reports Arduino. This kit was elaborated in collaboration with Seeed Studio and provides the Arduino community with the opportunity to build projects with minimal effort of both wiring and coding. This kit acts as a bridge to the world of Grove and provides a flexible way for Makers to extend their projects to include other complex Grove modules.

The Kit includes access to an online platform with all the instructions required to plug, sketch, and play with the different Grove Modules. There are 10 projects:

• The LED. This simple LED can be turned On/Off or dimmed.
• The Button. This is a push-button that can be put on high or low mode.
• The Potentiometer. It’s a variable resistor that can be used to increase or decrease resistance simply by turning its knob.
• The Buzzer. This piezo speaker produces binary sounds.
• The Light Sensor. This is a photoresistor that reads light intensity.
• The Sound Sensor. This small microphone measures sound vibrations.
• The Air Pressure Sensor. Using I2C protocol, this pressure sensor reads air pressure.
• The Temperature Sensor. Reads both temperature and humidity.
• The Movement Sensor. This is used to detect movement.
• The OLED Screen. Messages and values can be printed on this screen.

Hardware

Base Shield that is designed to fit on top of an Arduino UNO board. It comes equipped with 16 grove connectors, which, when placed on top of the UNO, provides functionality to various pins.

Read more: ASE Develops State-of-the-Art Microchip Using ANSYS Customization Toolkit

Software

The Arduino Sensor Kit Library is a wrapper for that contains links to other libraries related to certain modules such as the accelerometer, air pressure sensor, temperature sensor and the OLED display. This library provides easy-to-use apis that will help you build a clear mental model of the concepts you will be using.

Femtech, a short form of female technology, encompasses software, diagnostics, products, and services that use technology often to focus on women's health. This sector includes fertility solutions, period-tracking app, pregnancy and nursing care, women's sexual wellness, and reproductive system health care.

Read more: How Health Technology Is Transforming The Lives Of Women Across The Globe

From wearable breast pumps to digital birth control, the Femtech market is gearing up to see an unprecedented wave of innovation.

The origins of femtech can be traced back to the 1960s, where the women’s movement focused on sexuality, family, and reproductive rights, reports Ossie Ravid and Danny Tobey in MobiHealthNews. However, femtech had to face many obstacles in the past. Less than 25 years ago, women were excluded from clinical trials and using contraceptives was taboo.

Now, there are several companies that are fueling the growth of femtech industry. A report by data research company PitchBook reveals that the femtech industry generated US$820.6 million and is on the patch to reach at least US$3 billion by the end of 2030. The huge amount of health issues that affect women differently than men is astounding, and there is an enormous demand that needs to be filled. Ava, Bloomlife, Flo, Woom and Kindbody are among the few companies helping the growth of femtech.

Despite many advances, addressing women’s health issues through research funding still came up short. When the FDA approved Sildenafil (a.k.a. Viagra) for use in erectile dysfunction in 1998, health issues faced by women – including sexual and menstrual wellness, fertility, endometriosis and menopause – were still considered taboo by many.

This was something that Ida Tin, CEO of female health app, Clue, wanted to change when she started her business in 2012 in Berlin. ‘Clue’ became a harbinger for other women’s health initiatives seen today.

Read more: Rising Popularity of Female Health Tech Will Take A Big Bite Out of Wearables Market

Many similar apps and female-focused inventions have emerged alongside Clue, which was founded in 2013. Ava’s fertility tracking bracelet, for example, was a huge success.

The future of femtech looks bright. Experts anticipate seeing more investment from healthcare venture capitalists, which will grow the femtech industry.

An updated version of Apple’s ECG feature received FDA clearance, allowing it to add abnormal heart rhythm known as Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). The news comes just over two years after the company received De Novo clearance for the ECG feature on its smartwatches.

Read more: Apple Joins Forces with Researchers to Conduct Health Studies Using Apple Watch

AFib is the most common type of irregular heartbeat aka arrhythmia. When a person has AFib, the normal beating in the upper chambers of the heart (the two atria) is irregular, and blood doesn’t flow as well as it should from the atria to the lower chambers of the heart (the two ventricles). According to the CDC, more than 454,000 hospitalizations with AFib as the primary diagnosis happen each year in the United States.4 The condition contributes to about 158,000 deaths each year.

The ECG app on the Apple Watch (Series 4, Series 5, or Series 6) can record your heartbeat and rhythm using the electrical heart sensor and then check the recording for AFib, according to Apple.

The ECG app records an electrocardiogram which represents the electrical pulses that make your heartbeat. The ECG app checks these pulses to get your heart rate and see if the upper and lower chambers of your heart are in rhythm. If they’re out of rhythm, that could be AFib.

An AFib result means the heart is beating in an irregular pattern between 50 and 120 BPM

The Apple Watch ECG app generates an ECG that is similar to a single-lead (or Lead I) ECG. In a doctor’s office, a standard 12-lead ECG is usually taken. This 12-lead ECG records electrical signals from different angles in the heart to produce twelve different waveforms. The ECG app on Apple Watch measures a waveform similar to one of those twelve waveforms. A single-lead ECG is able to provide information about heart rate and heart rhythm and enables classification of AFib. However, a single-lead ECG cannot be used to identify some other conditions, like heart attacks.

Read more: The New Apple Watch Measures Blood Oxygen To Help Users Monitor The Effects Of COVID-19

Single-lead ECGs are often prescribed by doctors for people to wear at home or within the hospital so that the doctor can get a better look at the underlying rate and rhythm of the heart. However, the ECG app on Apple Watch allows you to generate an ECG similar to a single-lead ECG without a prescription from your doctor.

If you receive an AFib classification and you have not been diagnosed with AFib, you should talk to your doctor.

Chinese tech giant Huawei announced the implementation of its brand-new HUAWEI Health Lab in Xi’an, China. HUAWEI Health Lab researchers, engineers and developers will jointly explore the innovation and application of new sports and health technology, bringing the scientific and convenient sports experience to global consumers.

Read more: Huawei Partners Up with Gentle Monster to Release New Smartglasses

The Health Lab includes an experimental smart wearable product testing area and a sports health innovation area. In the experimental smart wearable product testing area, the engineers have set up more than ten reliability tests based on strict standards. All of the HUAWEI smart wearables will stand up to destructive test repeatedly. Only those products that passed the test will be introduced to the market and eventually provide services to consumers. With more than 20 professional research devices, researchers simulate multiple exercise scenarios, collect fitness and health data, and continuously optimize Huawei's fitness and health data algorithms. In this way, all of the consumers with different physical conditions can obtain accurate fitness and health data from our wearable products, Huawei said in a press release.

“Smart wearables are tiny gadgets, but they bear big thoughts which guide consumers to a more scientific workout experience and a healthier life,” said Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group (BG). Today, Huawei’s smart wearables are among the most popular devices on the market, and as a response to consumers’ trust and loyalty, Huawei is committed to stay innovative, enhance R&D capabilities, and improve professionalism in the field of sports and health technology to offer global consumers a scientific and healthy lifestyle.

Huawei launched seven smart wearables this year. These include smartwatches such as Watch GT 2, Watch GT 2 Pro, and Watch FIT, which won accolades from the industry for their extensive professional fitness and health tracking functions. Indeed, a market research report by IDC, showed that Huawei’s wrist wearables ranked No. 1 in Q2, 2020.

To provide global consumers with more advanced smart wearable products and ultimate fitness and health experience, Huawei's smart wearable and fitness and health R&D team spent nine months integrating existing R&D resources and introducing new professional research devices. After re-location and planning, Huawei's smart wearable and fitness and health R&D team has built the brand-new HUAWEI Health Lab to further enhance innovation capabilities.

The secrets to the birth of these scientific features are housed in the HUAWEI Health Lab. Over 40 researchers, developers and testers work together closely in the lab, actualizing their passion for an active and healthy lifestyle with help from a wide range of specialized research equipment and innovative research methods. Behind the convenient health and fitness experience offered by Huawei wearable products, there are always complex R&D process happened within the HUAWEI Health Lab.

There are hundreds of reliability tests designed by the product team. Among them, a quarter of the test items belong to the extreme durability test. For the Huawei smartwatches and bands that are going to the tests, this is undoubtedly a journey of no return. If the test fails, they will be disassembled to analyze and sent to the factory to destroy.

Read more: Huawei Watch GT Comes to the US for $199 with Two-Week Battery Life

“In the future, Huawei will continue to increase the investment in the field of sports and health, and build another sports health laboratory in Songshan Lake, Dongguan which will collaborate closely with more than 10 of Huawei’s global science institutes, sharing R&D resources with the aim of building an innovative, industry-leading, and open Huawei sports health ecosystem. We also aim to provide consumers easy to use, professional and accurate health and fitness products,” said Rico Zhang, President of Smart Wearable and Health Product Line in Huawei Consumer Business Group (BG).

With the rapid expansion of Huawei’s sports R&D facilities matching the brand’s growing repertoire of wearable devices to suit different consumer needs, the future certainly looks bright for Huawei’s Smart Wearable and Health Product Line.

When fitness trackers first hit the market, they made a stir because of their ability to track our steps. The advent of smartwatches changed all that. In addition to tracking our steps, smartwatches can monitor our heart rate, calories burned, distance traveled and even take ECG readings.

Read more: Remote Patient Monitoring with Wearables – Improving Healthcare at Home and at the Point of Care

Other brands like Oura and Whoop specialize in advanced recovery insights, based on metrics like heart rate variability, respiratory rate, and sleep, reports mbg health. According to research, one in six consumers currently owns and uses wearable technology.

This year, the NBA and WNBA teamed up with Oura to help promote the health and safety of their players, including potentially catching early signs of COVID-19 during their season, such as body temperature changes, according to mbg health.

As the popularity of wearables is rising among healthcare professionals, in the New Year, we might see more and more doctors using wearables to measure the health metrics of their patients.

“Our healthcare system needs to move away from a paradigm of largely reactionary treatment to a more proactive, preventative approach,” says Casey Means, M.D., a health-optimizing physician and co-founder of Levels. “Wearables—coupled with intelligent software—will be a valuable part of this movement.”

Means also thinks there will be more development in biowearables that track internal biomarkers, like Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs). “Having a miniature laboratory on your arm is not science fiction, it’s the near future.”

Personalized medicine physician Molly Maloof, M.D. believes in the New Year we’ll see more at-home labs and testing opportunities. “I’m pretty excited about devices like Vessel which tests urine for health biomarkers. Basically, our home bathroom is going to become our mini lab.”

Read more: Fitbit CEO Reveals He’s Planning to Transform Fitbit To A Digital Healthcare Company

Wearables are fascinating devices, but it’s important to acknowledge that not everyone can afford one. At the same time, not everyone would like to wear one twenty-four hours a day.

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide whether a wearable device is something from which you would benefit. But seeing their rising popularity, it is safe to say that the wearables of tomorrow will change the way we track our health.

The brain-hacking wellness wearable NeoRhyhm just got updated in time for Christmas. MDCN Technologies Inc., the maker of NeoRhythm said all 11,000 devices on the market have been updated.

From an initial crowdfunding goal of $25,000, the company raised 67 times that, nearly $1.8 million, making them one of Indiegogo's most successful projects ever.

Read more: NextMind Starts Shipping its DevKit for Real-Time Brain-Sensing Wearable

NeoRhythm, U-shaped headband, is the latest innovation in the rapidly developing field of neuroscience, using a safe magnetic method of neuromodulation called Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) to target specific areas of the brain with the purpose of helping the user reach a desired state of mind such as relaxation, focus or sleep. PEMF has been FDA-approved and used regularly by doctors worldwide for decades, MDCN Technologies said in a press release.

Here's how it works

The brain processes information about how we feel, behave and perform. The electrical footprint of its function is seen in the form of brain waves, which change depending on our activity.

NeoRhythm emits scientifically-validated dominant and accompanying frequencies to which the brain synchronizes, creating a perfect mental environment for the desired state of mind. The headband doesn’t just target the brain in general. It can be used in five different positions to better reach the area of the brain you want to stimulate.

NeoRhythm works without any wires or control buttons. Simply tap it twice to​ select the last mode used or to select another mode through the app on your smartphone.

With its advanced technology and design, NeoRhythm can be used in five different positions to better reach the area of the brain that needs to be stimulated and the wearer can choose from six stimulation programs, all of which are backed by scientific studies in the fields of PEMF and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS):

Improve Sleep: Helps the brain slow down and go into sleep mode by emitting frequencies of theta and delta brainwaves, which are naturally produced by the brain when we are sleeping.

Deep Relaxation: The headband emits a corresponding frequency of delta waves, and the brain synchronizes to reach a state of calmness.

Enhance Mental Capacity: This mode emits a dominant frequency of beta brainwaves, accompanied by a weaker frequency of gamma brainwaves, which are characteristic for the state of higher perception.

Read more Mendi Brain-Training Headset Lets You Train Your Brain Like You Would a Muscle

Pain Control: This program emits dominant gamma brainwave frequency with accompanying alpha brainwave frequency to decrease sensitivity to pain.

Meditation: Stimulates the brain with dominant theta waves, which are ideal for deep meditation, or dominant alpha waves, which are characteristic for a state of quiet focus.

Energy Plus Vitality: Energizes and re-vitalizes body and mind.

NextMind, a fast-growing neurotechnology startup, announced it has started shipping its much-anticipated Development Kit for the world’s first real-time brain-sensing wearable, which allows users to take control of their digital world just by using their thoughts. This groundbreaking technology opens new possibilities for gaming and human-computer interaction by instantly translating brain signals from the user’s visual cortex into digital commands for any device.

Read more: Elon Musk Demonstrates Neuralink Brain-Computer Interface with Live Pigs

“This is a huge milestone for NextMind and a tribute to all our scientists, investors and partners who have helped us bring a truly transformational experience to the developer community,” said Sid Kouider, founder and CEO of NextMind. “We believe this technology will change the gaming industry in massive ways due to how fully immersive and exciting the NextMind experience is. Our product will truly make you feel like a Jedi, and we cannot wait to see what NextMind can bring to the global developer community as well as to the future of brain-computer interfaces.”

NextMind’s device is a small, lightweight wearable that captures electrical brain signals from the user’s visual cortex as it sits inside a cap or on a band on the back of the user’s head. It creates a deeper, more immersive experience between humans and computers. By using machine-learning algorithms, NextMind translates that output into direct digital commands for devices in real-time, all while being hands-free, reports BusinessWire.

The opportunity for developers to create amazing human-computer interactions using NextMind is only limited by their imagination. The unique brain-computer interface has the power to give users control over their computers and any device in the internet of things, such as lights, TVs, music, games and more. NextMind can be used alone, with an augmented- or virtual-reality headset, or in combination with other controllers such as a gamepad.

Read more: Brain Computer Interface with Neurofeedback Can Improve Your Performance, Says Columbia Study

NextMind’s DevKit is compatible with a wide range of digital platforms, including Microsoft Windows 10, Apple’s macOS, Oculus, HTC Vive and HoloLens.

The DevKit includes:

NextMind Sensor: Brain-sensing wearable with an adjustable headband.

NextMind Engine: Real-time machine-learning algorithms transforming neural signals into commands.

NextMind SDK: Ready-to-use Unity resources such as tutorials, demo apps and games, and code building blocks.

Arjo, a global medical device company, announced it has entered into a distributor agreement with Vitalacy, a Los Angeles health and hygiene technology company, to offer its IoT enabled sensors and wearables to customers. The solution aims at improving quality of care and patient safety with automated monitoring of hand hygiene, workflow efficiency and contact tracing.

Read more: Samsung’s New ‘Hand Wash’ App Reminds You To Wash Your Hands During COVID-19

“We are excited to partner with Vitalacy in order to continue driving healthier outcomes within healthcare. An infection control solution such as Vitalacy, can have a positive impact in healthcare. We are looking forward to adding infection control to our portfolio,” said Anne Sigoun, North American President at Arjo. “This agreement with Vitalacy enables our team to provide top solutions that help prevent injuries and infections as well as optimize care for people facing mobility challenges.”

1 in 25 patients will suffer from a healthcare-acquired infection (HAI) – 70% of which are caused by poor hand hygiene. The WHO states, “hand hygiene is one of the most effective actions you can take to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent infections, including the COVID-19 virus.”

Hospital staff wear Vitalacy Smartbands to monitor hand hygiene behavior such as compliance and wash duration. The wearable Bluetooth device reminds staff to wash at point-of-care if they forget and to wash longer if the wash is too short. The CDC recommends that everyone wash hands often with soap and water or sanitizer of at least 60% alcohol if soap is not available for at least 20 seconds, says a press release.

In addition, the platform monitors workflow in near real-time allowing healthcare enterprises to monitor rounding, caregiver fatigue and contact tracing. These innovative measures decrease infection risk and improve patient experience.

Read more: Ada Health-Sutter Health Collaboration Improved Patient Care by Providing On-Demand Healthcare Guidance

“Adding Vitalacy's automated solution to Arjo's current medical device portfolio empowers our mutual mission to improve the lives of patients,” says Janel Nour-Omid, CEO and Cofounder of Vitalacy. Nour-Omid was recently named in Forbes' 2020 List of 30 Under 30 in Healthcare and has lost several family members to HAIs. “We see Arjo not just as a growth partner but an advisor in healthcare safety and efficiency. Already we have seen a 30% reduction in client installation time. No other company has the expertise in process, procedures and equipment to ensure healthcare staff can deliver the best care to their patients.”

OMRON Healthcare, a global leader in innovative medical equipment for health monitoring and therapy, has created the world’s first clinically-validated medical device that accurately detects the presence of wheezing in young children.

Read more: CPI, ItoM Medical and Blumorpho Working on Next Gen Smart Vest for Children with Asthma

Wheezing is a whistling or rattling sound on the breath and is the most common symptom of asthma in children under the age of 51. Despite this, at least 44% of parents struggle to clearly identify wheezing sounds before the onset of an asthma attack2. This can be for a number of reasons, including:

• The prospect of a looming asthma attack causes anxiety and hesitation
• Wheezes don’t always sound the same
• Children are too young to articulate what they’re experiencing

Research has shown that about 55% of parents do not detect wheezing in the same way as clinicians due to anxiety, doubt and miscommunication.

WheezeScan provides an objective assessment of the presence of wheezing, removing the guesswork, doubt and indecision enabling parents of children with asthmatic symptoms to confidently follow the doctor’s treatment plan, reports OMRON.

WheezeScan has been intuitively designed for straight forward, accurate detection. Parents simply hold it below their child’s right collarbone for 30 seconds and wait for a “Wheeze” or “No Wheeze” identification. In addition, WheezeScan’s design is sleek and ergonomic, light and portable, allowing parents to have it with them at all times and remove any uncertainty in moments of breathing distress.

OMRON Healthcare’s WheezeScan advanced listening technology was designed to identify sounds in a child’s wheezing that parents may not be able to hear. A diaphragm of micron-width material detects low-volume wheezing. This, combined with an HD quality microphone, a built-in noise-canceling system, and a specialized on-board computer allows the device to provide a clear “wheeze” or “no wheeze” reading. In addition, a protective internal case ensures durability and long-term accuracy.

The companion app, AsthmaDiary, keeps track of wheeze episodes, enabling parents to log data of potential trigger factors and response to medication, as well as identifying trends.

WheezeScan has already obtained European CE Mark and will be available online in the UK and Germany for GBP 149.99 and EUR 169.99, respectively.

Read more: Apple Buys Asthma-Monitoring Startup Tueo Health

According to Lucía Prada, Marketing Director of OMRON Healthcare Europe, “as a mother of two, I know how stressful it is having a sick child, and how powerless this can make you feel when you cannot figure out how to help them. WheezeScan was designed to give parents confidence in the adequate management of their children’s asthmatic condition. As the first step towards our Zero Asthma attacks vision, it brings into concrete action our vision to do everything we can to minimize the impact that asthma has on patients, and particularly children”.

Vodafone and Disney have announced the Neo, a smartwatch for kids that gives them independence as they take their first steps into the digital world, but which also helps parents stay connected.

Read more: Nreal Launches High-Fidelity Hand Tracking, Announces Partnership with Deutsche Telekom

Kids can personalize their Neo by choosing a theme based on ‘sidekicks’ – familiar characters such as Minnie Mouse, Elsa, Buzz Lightyear and Darth Vader. They can switch themes whenever they like and additional characters will be added over time. They can also take photos using the forward-facing camera.

Parents can use the Neo to stay connected with their children through calls, chat and video messages. Using the Vodafone Smart App, parents can manage screen time through Quiet Mode, view the Neo’s location, and approve a list of trusted contact, reports Vodafone.

The Neo costs £99 upfront with a £7 a month subscription on a 24-month plan, or a £12 a month subscription on a 12-month plan.

In a separate press release, Vodafone also announced plans to sell mixed reality glasses, made by device maker Nreal, to 5G customers in Spain in Germany next spring. Other markets are due to follow suit throughout 2021.

Nreal Light are cutting-edge, lightweight and comfortable mixed reality glasses that sport an industry-leading widescreen, equivalent to viewing a portable IMAX screen.  Nreal Light glasses are designed to be worn daily.  Via a wired USB-C connection, they tap into the power of a modern Android phone, which aids in the processing and running control functions.

“Nreal Light is a breakthrough product and we are excited to announce that Vodafone is bringing Nreal’s cutting-edge glasses to Europe.  Nreal Light combined with Vodafone’s high speed, ultra-low latency Gigabit 5G network will give consumers and businesses an affordable, accessible way of experiencing the latest augmented and mixed reality experiences and brings the future a little closer for everyone,” said Phil Patel, Vodafone Group Director Products & Services.

Read more: Best Smartwatches And Fitness Trackers For Kids 2020

Nreal Light is compatible with most existing Android smartphone applications, bringing an AR experience to many familiar apps. When connected via a compatible Android handset, users can use Nreal Light glasses to browse the web or shop, watch video, TV and sport, enjoy AAA gaming experiences or catch up on social media – all in augmented reality on a large ‘virtual’ screen, while multitasking up to three applications simultaneously.

PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is a molecular diagnostic testing technique and is a gold standard diagnostic test for a variety of infectious pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2. However, this type of test requires bulky and expensive lab equipment. Researchers at Imperial College London have developed a tiny lab-on-a-chip that is only 1 cm in diameter and can perform PCR diagnostics in just a few minutes.

Read more: South Korean Researchers Develop Smart Contact Lens for Diagnosis And Treatment Of Diabetes

Known as TriSilix, the chip is made from silicon, the same material that is used to make electronic chips. Silicon itself is cheap, however, it is expensive to process into chips as this requires massive, extremely clean factories known as cleanrooms, reports Imperial College London.

Each TriSilix contains a DNA sensor, temperature detector, and heater to automate the testing process. A typical smartphone battery could power up to 35 tests on a single charge.

To make the new lab-on-chip, the researchers developed a series of methods to produce the chips in a standard laboratory, cutting the costs and time they take to fabricate, potentially allowing them to be produced anywhere in the world.

Lead researcher Dr. Firat Güder of Imperial’s Department of Bioengineering said: “Rather than sending swabs to the lab or going to a clinic, the lab could come to you on a fingernail-sized chip. You would use the test much like how people with diabetes use blood sugar tests, by providing a sample and waiting for results – except this time it’s for infectious diseases.”

The researchers have so far used TriSilix to diagnose a bacterial infection mainly present in animals as well as a synthetic version of the genetic material from SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19.

The researchers say the system could in the future be mounted onto handheld blood sugar test-style devices. This would let people test themselves and receive results at home for colds, flu, recurrent infections like those of the urinary tract (UTIs), and COVID-19.

If validated on human samples, this new test could provide results outside a clinic, at home or on-the-go within minutes.

Cutting costs

The researchers said a highly portable test could accelerate diagnosis of infections and reduce costs by eliminating the transportation of samples. Such tests could be performed by citizens in the absence of highly trained medical professionals – hence, if they need to self-isolate, they can start immediately without potentially infecting others.

Making testing more accessible and cheaper is especially important for people in rural areas of low-income countries, where clinics can be far away and expensive to travel to. If made available to patients, it could also be used to diagnose and monitor infections like UTIs, which often recur despite antibiotics.

Read more: Graphene Biosensor Could Provide Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer

“Monitoring infections at home could even help patients, with the help of their doctor, to personalize and tailor their antibiotic use to help reduce the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, said first author Dr. Estefania Nunez-Bajo, also of the Department of Bioengineering.

Next, the researchers plan to validate their chip with clinical samples, automate the preparation of samples and advance their handheld electronics. They are looking for partners and funders to help accelerate the translation of the technology and deliver testing at resource-limited settings at homes, farms or remote locations in the developing world.

The paper is published in Nature Communications.

Flexible displays have been discussed for years, but product designers couldn’t bring them to the market due to limitations in TFT manufacturing on non-glass substrates. Now, E Ink and Plastic Logic have unveiled a new flexible color E Ink display that can be used for wearables or other applications where a rigid screen may not be the best option. The two companies are partnering to provide the world’s first flexible color displays based around E Ink’s Advanced Color ePaper (ACeP) technology.

Related: Nubia Launches Futuristic Flexible Display Smartwatch

“E Ink is excited to partner with Plastic Logic to offer the world’s first flexible color display technology to customers,” said Johnson Lee, CEO, E Ink. “Plastic Logic's advanced oTFT displays are more robust than traditional amorphous silicon transistors on plastic substrate, which are more suitable for wearable applications.”

“Our new range of Legio flexible color displays will enable customers to bring new color applications to market faster and, we believe, more cost-effectively. Evaluation Kits will be available later this year so that designers can try out the displays in ‘real world’ applications,” Lee added.

Plastic Logic’s advanced oTFT (organic Thin Film Transistor) displays are high-resolution, lightweight and ultra-low-power. They are more rugged than standard glass-based TFTs and are thinner and lighter, making them ideal for applications such as wearables, reports BusinessWire.

E Ink ACeP is a high quality, color reflective electronic paper that can produce full color at every pixel without the use of a color filter array (CFA). Currently, E Ink’s ACeP display has been used in signage applications that do not require flexible form factors. The addition of Plastic Logic’s technology allows for expansion into applications that can require thinner and lighter weight displays.

Related: Royole’s Ultra-Thin Flexible Display Shows Promise for Foldable Smartphones of the Future

“We are very excited to collaborate with E Ink to provide the market with the world’s first plastic displays using ACeP film,” said Tim Burne, CEO, Plastic Logic. “Our flexible, glass-free displays are a perfect addition to any wearable technology designer’s toolkit – they are extremely lightweight, making them well suited for integration into a host of wearables, including smart jewelry and smart clothing.”

The global wearables market grew 35.1% year over year during the third quarter of 2020 (3Q20) with total shipments reaching 125 million units according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.

Read more: Wearables shipments in India Jump 165%; Earwear and Watches Lead to a Record Quarter for Wearables

The surge was driven by seasonality, new product launches, and the global pandemic. New products from the likes of Apple, Samsung, and others helped renew interest in popular categories such as smartwatches and hearables. Meanwhile, consumer spend on electronics also increased during recent months as spending on travel, dining out, and other leisure activities decreased. This shift in spending was another catalyst for the wearables market, reports BusinessWire.

“Many countries began easing restrictions and opening up their economies during the third quarter, which helped bolster outdoor activity as well as demand for wearables," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC Mobile Device Trackers. "Meanwhile, a broader range of price points from numerous vendors meant that there was something for everyone.”

“The double-digit growth not only indicates strong demand, but also suggests that many people got a wearable device for the first time in both emerging and developed markets," said Ramon T. Llamas, research director, Mobile Devices and AR/VR. “As some wearers own multiple devices – like earwear and wristwear – the wearables market will enjoy sustained demand.”

Company Highlights

Apple led the market with 33.1% share during the quarter. AirPods along with Apple Watches were hugely popular due to pandemic driven demand. Apple's expanding Watch lineup also ensured that devices were available at multiple price points including new mid-level products such as the Watch SE.

Xiaomi followed in second place with 17 million units shipped, 12.8 million of which were basic wristbands. The low price point along with international expansion combined to move the company forward with 26.4% year-over-year growth.

Huawei ranked third with unit shipments totaling 13.7 million. Despite facing US sanctions, the company was able to drive growth across multiple markets although its shipments were concentrated in China. Nonetheless, by not relying on Google for its watches and with many components coming from non-US vendors, the negative impact to Huawei's wearables business has been less than in other tech categories.

Samsung's strategy to attack the earwear market with multiple brands continues to pay off as the company ranked fourth in the wearables market. Hearable shipments reached 8.4 million during quarter along with 2.6 million smartwatches. Bundling of wearables with smartphones continues for the South Korean electronics maker and, at least in smartwatches, the company continues to invest in the commercial segment, a strategy employed by very few smartwatch brands.

Read more Apple Beats Samsung and Fitbit As North American Wearables Shipments Grow 10% Amid Pandemic

Fitbit and BoAt tied for fifth place, each holding 2.6% of the wearables market. Fitbit's new devices launched near the end of the quarter were relatively well received and a price drop on older models has helped the company stay within the Top 5. Meanwhile, BoAt focuses solely on the Indian market (a rapidly growing market for wearables) and primarily sells hearables. Post-lockdown in India, the company has benefitted from to a strong marketing campaign and tie-ins with local cricket teams. While ambitions remain strong for the company, it lacks the global presence and supply chain of its many competitors.

Exactech, a developer and producer of innovative implants, instrumentation and smart technologies for joint replacement surgery, announced the acquisition of Muvr Labs Inc, a pioneer in intelligent patient wearables and digital communication tools. The latest addition to Exactech’s Active Intelligence platform of technologies, the Muvr portfolio is designed to help surgeons engage with their joint replacement patients throughout the journey of care.

Read more: Signify Health Acquires Blockchain Company PatientBlox to Accelerate Provider Payment Capabilities

“We are incredibly excited to join efforts with the team at Muvr to transform the relationship between patients and surgeons through this comprehensive care management platform,” said Darin Johnson, Exactech Chief Executive Officer. “This acquisition demonstrates our continued commitment to delivering personalized, data-driven solutions to improve patient outcomes.”

The Muvr platform includes patient wearables, mobile device applications and chatbot texting, which allow surgeons to remotely monitor patient recovery. The wearable device continuously provides the healthcare team with real-time data on each patient’s experience and recovery. Wireless sensors worn by the patient measure the individual’s range of motion, not simply steps taken. The patent-protected, self-calibrating design allows the patient to manage the wearable independently without additional in-person office visits and requires minimal intervention by the healthcare team, reports BusinessWire.

Muvr’s corresponding tablet application provides surgeons a dashboard to easily identify at-risk patients and connect remotely for follow-up. The surgeon/patient chatbot is a customizable software application that automatically conducts text conversations to provide patient reminders and respond to patients’ most common questions. The Muvr technology is designed to reduce the surgical team’s workload while collecting pain scores, exercise adherence, mobility metrics and survey information.

Orthopedic surgeon Alexander Sah, MD, in Fremont, Calif. has seen the positive impact of Muvr technology on his practice. “Patients are attracted to the technology because they know our team is monitoring their progress; remarkably, this has caused my patients to take more ownership of their recovery,” he said. “We have already observed an increase in exercise time, patient satisfaction and a reduction in office calls. It’s also very simple to use because it doesn’t require in-office calibration, which allows patients to use the sensors, at home, unsupervised.

Read more: Sensoria Announces Total End-to-End Knee Replacement Surgery

Pilot launch of the Muvr technology is slated for early 2021 with a full release by year-end. The company plans to further develop the technology to support shoulder and ankle replacement surgery.

ams announced the launch of the AS6221, a digital temperature sensor, which the company claims to be the world’s most accurate temperature sensor.

Read more: This Wearable Sensor Helps Your Body Maintain Optimal Levels Of Vitamin C By Detecting It In Your Sweat

The AS6221 achieves measurement accuracy of ±0.09°C, over a temperature range from 20°C to 42°C, making it ideal for the measurement of the human body or skin temperature. No competing digital temperature sensor on the market today can achieve accuracy better than ±0.10°C.

Housed in a WLCSP package, the AS6221 has a footprint of just 1.5mm x 1mm, and draws 6µA at an output data rate of 4Hz. Stand-by current is just 0.1µA.

This compact and low-power sensor is well suited to battery-powered portable and wearable devices, such as premium lifestyle or fitness monitoring wristbands, and smartwatches. In high-end computing systems and servers, it also enables the precise regulation of the operation of the processor to maximize system throughput while avoiding overheating, reports BusinessWire.

The introduction of the AS6221 extends ams’ position in the market for health monitoring technology, alongside existing products such as the AS7038RB blood oxygen monitoring device, AS7030B biosensor, devices for medical imaging systems, and the NanEye family of image sensors for endoscopy.

Alexander Rensink, Business Segment Manager Position Sensors at ams, said: “In high-end consumer products such as smartwatches and lifestyle monitoring wristbands, skin temperature is a critical metric, and so design engineers devote an enormous amount of time and effort to achieving and then validating high temperature measurement accuracy across all operating conditions. The introduction today of the AS6221 makes that task easier, providing more accurate measurement outputs, easing the integration of temperature sensing into the system, and giving the flexibility to support a range of operating voltages.”

The high accuracy of the AS6221 is specified across the device’s entire supply voltage range of 1.7V to 3.6V. By contrast, the most accurate competing sensors can only achieve their highest accuracy at a single voltage point, producing less accurate outputs across the rest of their operating voltage range.

The sensor offers a short measurement conversion time of 35ms. Its full operating temperature range is -40°C to 125°C.

Read more: Noninvasive Wearable Sensors to Advance Chronic Respiratory Disease Management In Patients Around the World

A complete digital temperature sensor system, the AS6221 requires no calibration or linearization. It provides its measurement outputs via a standard I2C interface and includes eight I2C addresses.

The AS6221 also offers an alarm function, to alert the user when a temperature threshold is crossed. The temperature value for the alarm function may be set by a host processor via the device’s register instruction set.

The AS6221 temperature sensor is available for sampling on the company’s website.