Scientists at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have developed a smart robotic hand to help amputees in daily tasks. The artificial hand combines individual finger control and automation for improved grasping and manipulation.

Read more Researchers Develop New Prosthesis that Provides Sense of Touch So the User Knows Its Location

This interdisciplinary proof-of-concept between neuroengineering and robotics was successfully tested on three amputees and seven healthy subjects. Implementing these two concepts together, the technology contributes to the emerging field of shared control in neuroprosthetics. The results were published in Nature Machine Intelligence, reports EPFL.

The robotic hand is intelligent enough to decipher the user’s intentions and can grasp an object and maintain contact with it for robust grasping. Such automation may help the system to be more skillful, innate and less cumbersome than previous robotic prostheses.

“When you hold an object in your hand, and it starts to slip, you only have a couple of milliseconds to react,” explains Aude Billard who leads EPFL’s Learning Algorithms and Systems Laboratory. “The robotic hand has the ability to react within 400 milliseconds. Equipped with pressure sensors all along the fingers, it can react and stabilize the object before the brain can actually perceive that the object is slipping.”

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The machine learning algorithm, developed by the researchers, first learns how to decode user intention and translates this into finger movement of the prosthetic hand. The amputee must perform a series of hand movements in order to train the algorithm that uses machine learning. Sensors placed on the amputee’s stump detect muscular activity, and the algorithm learns which hand movements correspond to which patterns of muscular activity. Once the user’s intended finger movements are understood, this information can be used to control individual fingers of the prosthetic hand.

“Because muscle signals can be noisy, we need a machine learning algorithm that extracts meaningful activity from those muscles and interprets them into movements,” says Katie Zhuang first author of the publication.

Read more Swedish Woman Receives First Dexterous and Sentient Prosthetic Hand

Next, the scientists engineered the algorithm so that robotic automation kicks in when the user tries to grasp an object. The algorithm tells the prosthetic hand to close its fingers when an object is in contact with sensors on the surface of the prosthetic hand.

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Kaasa solution, a Movesense development partner from Germany, is publishing Data Collector 2.0 for recording Movesense raw data. Data Collector 2.0 is a powerful iOS solution that not only records Movesense data but also manages data collecting in projects where data is collected in several locations and multiple people.

Read more Movesense Motion Sensors Helping Companies Build Wearables for Various Fields

“We developed the Data Collector originally for our own Movesense projects but noticed that many developers need such a tool. Therefore, we are now making the improved 2.0 version available to other companies as well,” says Kaasa CEO Nico Kaartinen.

The new Data Collector connects quickly to up to five sensors and records their data to synchronized files, reports Movesense. The app includes a number of innovative features that makes data collection easy and reliable and makes sure that the recorded data is stored systematically:

• Easy real time annotation of recorded data through video, audio, hot buttons and free text.
• Easy sharing of sensors settings to ensure that data collection within a project always uses the same settings.
• Fast viewing of large recordings of up to 5 synchronized sensors with real time annotations through Data Collector Plotter.

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One of the innovative features of the app is sharing of sensor settings. When collecting data for research projects, prototypes, AI algorithms, and other purposes, it is essential that the sensor settings are kept identical across all sensors, locations and users in a project. Kaasa Data Collector 2.0 makes storing and sharing sensor settings within a project very fast and easy. This becomes even easier when using Movesense smart connectors.

One of the first users of Data Collector 2.0 is professor Sampsa Vanhatalo, leading researcher at BABA center, Helsinki Children’s Hospital.

“We are developing medical wearables for neurological assessment of spontaneously moving infants. It was necessary to find a tool that allows recording synchronous data from multiple sensor, and Data Collector 2.0 was the only solution that could carry out the task, says professor Sampsa Vanhatalo, leading researcher at BABA center, Helsinki Children’s Hospital.

Read more Microsoft Patents Multidimensional Heart Rate Sensor that Delivers Accurate Data on Wearables

“In addition, the ability to collect synchronized video as well as manual and audio annotations was extremely useful for us. Such tool will be crucial for anyone who wants to collect well characterized datasets for future training of analysis algorithms. Indeed, this was a game changer for our projects. We now feel so confident with the tool and its ease of use that we are planning to give it to external participants in their daily living environments, adds professor Vanhatalo, who’s also one of the first users of Data Collecto

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Wireless earbuds, better known as hearables, are fast replacing wearables as the most popular accessory for consumers. According to Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker of International Data Corporation (IDC), global wearable device shipments grew 85.2% in the second quarter of 2019 (2Q19) as shipments totaled 67.7 million units. From these devices, hearables were among the fastest growing categories, capturing 46.9% of the overall wearables market during the quarter, up from 24.8% a year ago. This growth was driven by a multitude of new products and consumers who purchased their second wearable, a hearable, to use in parallel with existing smartwatches or wrist bands, reports Business Wire.

“The growing popularity of the hearables segment is forcing existing brands to reconsider past designs when launching new products, as evident in Samsung's popular Galaxy Buds, while also attracting new brands to market,” said Jitesh Ubrani research manager for IDC Mobile Device Trackers. “And though it's still early days, the market is showing signs of emerging subsegments such as hearables dedicated to sports from the likes of Jabra, premium hearables from companies such as Bose, and ones dedicated to hearing loss such as those from Nuheara.”

Read more Nuheara Building Ecosystem for Hearables with its IQStream TV

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Companies highlighted in the report are:

Apple. The tech giant led the market for hearables by capturing 50.2% share during the quarter. New products such as the refreshed AirPods and the latest from the Beats lineup helped the company grow 218.2% compared to last year.

Samsung. The company’s self-branded devices and the JBL brand, captured the second position during the quarter. The highly publicized Galaxy Buds were one of the company's most popular pair of hearables as the pair was bundled with the purchase of Samsung's latest smartphone.

Xiaomi. Xiaomi's AirDots (amongst other models) helped the company capture the third position. Though the company primarily sells its hearables in China, Xiaomi has already started to make inroads in other markets such as Europe and the Middle East with its smartphones and wrist bands.

Read more Hearables Are Going to Revolutionize Healthcare, Here’s How

Bose. This Boston-based company ranked fourth in this market. The company's long lineage in audio and premium offering has helped set the company apart from the remainder of the pack.

ReSound. The parent company of Jabra rounded out the top 5 with 5.1% share and 132.9% growth. Jabra's Elite Active 65t have been extremely popular as an alternative to Apple's AirPods and have also been promoted heavily on Amazon's store.

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Shimmer, a Dublin-based wearable technology company that produces wearable wireless sensors, which can be used in research applications, announced launch of a healthcare industry open source initiative for wearable sensor algorithms. The initiative is being co-founded by Shimmer, Dr. Vincent van Hees, author of the GGIR software and algorithms for movement sensor calibration, sensor wear detection, and signal aggregation, and Nextbridge Health, which is developing the Nextbridge Exchange, an online marketplace and discovery platform for the clinical research community.

Read more Shimmer Launches Verisense™ Wearable Sensor Platform for Clinical Trials

“We are excited to be working with Dr. Vincent van Hees and Nextbridge on this initiative. Vincent’s GGIR platform sets the standard for open source algorithms in terms of usability, documentation, and validation. More than 80 peer-reviewed studies involving almost 200,000 participants have used GGIR. When we searched for algorithms to power our Verisense™ wearable sensor platform for clinical trials, nothing came close to GGIR,” said Geoffrey Gill, president of Shimmer Americas.

Wearable sensors have the potential to revolutionize clinical trials and medicine in general by enabling continuous, real-world data to be included in clinical and post-marketing studies. They allow occasional and often subjective measures of health to be replaced with continuous, objective measures. But the lack of accepted clinical endpoints is proving to be a major impediment to the widespread adoption of wearable sensors in clinical trials, reports Shimmer.

This new initiative seeks to develop a curated set of open source algorithms and software tools for analyzing wearable sensor data that will be available to all medical device and pharmaceutical companies in a pre-competitive environment as a service to the industry. It will allow the work conducted by thousands of researchers during the past decade to be leveraged to create commonly-accepted de facto industry standards.

“Shimmer’s deep connections to the research community provides a fantastic channel to reach and recruit researchers to provide content,” said Richard Strobridge, CEO of Nextbridge Health.

Read more Oracle mHealth Platform is Revolutionizing Clinical Trials with Remote Monitoring Devices

This initiative will allow sponsors to gain access to transparent, peer-reviewed, and validated algorithms that have been commonly accepted by the industry. This advance should expedite clinical trials, reducing their cost, and improving patient access to treatments. Similarly, wearable sensor developers will gain access to accepted, validated algorithms, thus reducing duplication of efforts, and likely leading to quicker acceptance of new devices by the industry and regulatory agencies. Algorithm and software developers will receive increased visibility, greater recognition, and broader uses for their work, potentially resulting in business opportunities for them.

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Stretchable electronics is a technology for building electronic circuits by depositing stretchable electronic devices and circuits onto stretchable substrates or embed them entirely in a stretchable material like silicones or polyurethanes. Stretchable electronics comes in many shapes and forms. Because of their elasticity and conformity, they are widely used in wearable medical devices. A new report titled Stretchable and Conformal Electronics 2019-2029 finds that the stretchable and conformal electronics market will grow to approach $500m within a decade, reports Wearable Technology Insights.

This report provides a comprehensive and insightful view of this diverse emerging technology front. It covers the progress of more than 100 companies and 25 research institutes including first-hand primary research on 62 companies.

Read more New Stretchable E-Tattoo for Long-Term Uninterrupted Heart Monitoring

According to the report, most commercial growth in stretchable electronics comes from electrodes, circuit lines and interconnects, and basic sensors. InMold Electronics products are used in various fitness products for monitoring heart rate or respiration. These products are also used in wearables to monitor pregnancy. Many are also working on printed circuit boards.

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“Stretchable electronics faces a complicated path to the market. It is not a replacement market in that stretchable electronics will often not substitute an existing component or product. There are rare exceptions, for example, in e-textiles. However, even in those cases, the addressable market itself is nascent and fragmented. As such, the challenge is to create new markets and new demand,” the report states. “This will require identifying and defining problems, in diverse sectors, which the unique features of stretchable electronics can help solve.”

The positive side, however, is that stretchable electronics are being used in various sectors. The most popular form of SCE is seen in fitness monitoring devices. The next round of products might come in smart skin patches and other forms of wearable patient monitoring tools and smart textiles, according to the report.

Read more Researchers Develop Stretchable Thermoelectric Coils for Energy Harvesting in Flexible Wearable Devices

The pipeline can be huge and robust and may be composed of many small pieces. Therefore, the companies should organize themselves to deal with these products. “This implies that in the medium the market will remain fragmented in terms of users and use cases, products, value chains, and performance and cost requirements,” the report said.

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AI health firm Myia Labs has raised $10 million in a Series A funding for its AI and consumer wearable monitoring platform. The funding round was led by Mercy Virtual which pledged $5 million. Other investors in the round include Zetta Venture Partners, BootstrapLabs, Boston Consulting Group and B Capital Group, all of which participated in last year’s $6.75 million seed round.

Read more Oura Ring’s New Feature ‘Moment’ Tracks Your Meditation

Myia’s platform uses Apple Watches, Fitbits, Oura Rings and other consumer devices to monitor and collect real-world data. In combination with Myia Lab’s applied machine intelligence technology, these data are then used to get insights on the patient’s chronic conditions, enabling doctors to determine whether or not additional intervention is needed, reports MobiHealthNews.

“Real-world data from patients' everyday life is an essential element for clinicians to be more preventative in caring for patients,” Simon MacGibbon, cofounder and CEO of Myia Health, told MobiHealthNews in an email. “If inserted into clinicians' workflow at the right time, such data will allow them to see bad things before they happen, to personalize patient care plans (e.g., making more timely medication changes), and to optimize the use of scarce resources by focusing on the patients who need care the most. We think of this as ‘personalized care management,’ not just ‘remote patient monitoring.’”

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Described as ‘hospital without beds,’ Mercy Virtual’s low-cost at-home virtual care has so far reduced readmissions among chronic disease patients by 50% over a two-year period. About its partnership with Myia, the company told MobiHealthNews that it drove the relationship from a commercial partnership to a full-fledged strategic investment.

Read more NIH, Fitbit Launch First Digital Health Technology Initiative BYOD Project

“Myia stands out for its breadth and depth of capabilities,” said J. Gavin Helton, president of clinical integration at Mercy Virtual. “From a consumer-grade patient experience and seasoned machine learning and bio-computation experts to incredible depth of thought regarding how to surface actionable information into clinical workflows to allow our clinicians to practice at top of license, Myia can truly enable us to deliver on the promise of virtual care. Most important of all though is the trust and respect we have for each other as we work with urgency and transparency towards a common vision that will benefit patients and clinicians both.”

Apple is Collaborating with Leading Medical Institutions to Examine Hearing, Women’s, Mobility and Heart Health. The tech giant said it will begin enrolling consumers for the 3 studies later this year through an upcoming app. Participants will contribute to potential medical discoveries and help create the next generation of innovative health products. The Research app will be available as a free download in the App Store later this year, reports Apple.

“With the Apple Heart Study, we found that we could positively impact medical research in ways that help patients today and that make contributions that will benefit future generations,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “Today’s announcement carries our commitment to health even further by engaging with participants on a larger scale than ever before.”

Read more Apple Joins Eli Lilly to Study How iPhone and Apple Watch Can Detect Signs of Dementia

The studies include:

Apple Women’s Health Study: In partnership with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Apple has created the first long-term study of this scale focused on menstrual cycles and gynecological conditions. This study will inform screening and risk assessment of conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), infertility, osteoporosis, pregnancy and menopausal transition.

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Apple Heart and Movement Study: Apple is partnering with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the American Heart Association on a comprehensive study of how heart rate and mobility signals — like walking pace and flights of stairs climbed — relate to hospitalizations, falls, heart health and quality of life in order to promote healthy movement and improved cardiovascular health.

Apple Hearing Study: Apple is collaborating with the University of Michigan to study factors that impact hearing health. The Apple Hearing Health Study is the first of its kind to collect data over time in order to understand how everyday sound exposure can impact hearing. The study data will also be shared with the World Health Organization (WHO) as a contribution toward its Make Listening Safe initiative.

Read more Johnson & Johnson Collaborates with Apple to Use its App with Apple Watch in AFib Study

Apple started supporting the medical research community by introducing ResearchKit and CareKit. These software framework for apps expanded the pace and scale at which healthcare could be studied and provided. Apple used ResearchKit to create the Apple Heart Study, which was the largest study of its kind and demonstrated how virtual, large-scale studies can impact medical research by examining atrial fibrillation to provide validation for the irregular rhythm notification feature on Apple Watch.

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New York-based sleep tech company Dreem launched the second version of its smart sleep tracking headband Dreem 2 in the U.S. The noninvasive technology combines hardware and software to provide poor sleepers a tailored and holistic solution to address their problems falling asleep and staying asleep.

Related 4 Smart Sleep Masks to Help You Get Some Sleep While on the Go

“This is the first step in our mission to deliver precision sleep medicine at scale. With the US launch of our FDA-registered medical device, we've taken our place at the forefront of sleep healthcare,” explains Vik Panda, Dreem's Managing Director for North America. “Poor sleep has a tremendous impact on productivity, stress, absenteeism and overall mental health, not to mention the link between poor sleep and a long list of chronic diseases. Our first-of-its-kind solution helps individuals take control of their sleep, thereby improving their overall health.”

According to sleep experts, 30% of the U.S. population suffers from problems falling asleep and maintaining sleep, and for 10% of these people these problems are persistent and long-term. These sleep problems not only lead to loss of productivity, concentration or memory but can also be closely linked to serious physical and mental health issues. However, there are only a few treatments available to address this issue. Hypnotics, or sleeping pills has health risks and they only provide short-term, superficial relief, the company said in a press release.

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The headband’s seven sensors measure brain activity (EEG), heart rate, respiration and movement, the user is provided with a complete, detailed overview of their sleep. This monitoring and analysis are accompanied by the headband's biofeedback features that use audio to make falling asleep and waking up easier.

Related This Wearable Sleep Tracker Can Help Detect Your Sleep Apnea

The data collected by the headband is used to adapt an in-app 7-week long program to fit the sleeper's needs.  Backed by scientific evidence, this program is made up of exercises, tools and advice designed to help the user address thought patterns and habits at the heart of their sleep problem and establish a healthier sleep routine. The program can be divided into 4 main blocks: Sleep Consolidation, Stimulus Control, Cognitive Exercises and Sleep Hygiene.

Dreem 2 is priced at US $440 and can be ordered through the company’s website.

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In terms of connectivity and technology, swimming has always been slightly behind other endurance sports as measuring heart rate, the most common training metric is challenging in water. Competitive swimmers are rarely using wearables but that could be changing with Instabeat´s technology. Founded by swim-techpreneur Hind Hobeika, the company developed a smart add-on for swimming goggles that provides real-time visual feedback of your heart frequency. While an optical sensor is reading your heart rate from blood flow in your right temple, the device shows colored lights through your goggles for three zones according to your individual resting heart rate and preferences: green for recovery, blue for training and red for development zone. The mobile app dashboard displays detailed workout analytics, including your heart rate curve, distance, lap count, strokes recognition, and interval analysis.

From theory to practice – our team member Marius, an experienced triathlete and passionate swimmer, had the honor to test the Instabeat technology in the pool. After several sessions and a decent amount of collected data, he summarized his experience before, during and after his training.

BEFORE TRAINING – GETTING STARTED

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The nicely designed little package came with a personal message from founder Hind Hobeika, a goggle guide, instructions, a charging cable and last but not least the sensor. The step by step instructions are very easy to understand and the sensor and its displaying lights well explained. Although the charging cable disconnects very easily, the device charges really fast. After getting compatible goggles, it took some time to mount the Instabeat on the goggles at the first try but it got smoother after a while. Pairing with your mobile device goes quick and easy and right away you are set for your first swim.

DURING TRAINING – MONITOR YOUR SWIM

Very positively, the device is hardly perceivable during swimming. The different lights are good to see when necessary, do not disturb or distract and very much engage you – especially in exhausting and painful, alternating sprint intervals to stretch for the last meters. After a while, the pressure at the temple slightly increases and can become a bit uncomfy, but that is dependent on how strong you fit your goggles. However, it reliably stays in place during turns, starts, and styles. So, starting and executing sessions is pretty smooth by simply clicking the power button, awaiting a blue light signal and off you go.

AFTER TRAINING – SHOW ME THE DATA

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After connecting the device to the app, it synchronizes your swim and easily transfers the collected data that can be assigned to a dedicated workout defined in duration, distance and pool size. The app automatically imports and calculates heart rate, means and pace, shows courses over the session and gives detailed information on your performance. In total, the overall picture looks good and the app considers essential swimming metrics.

In conclusion, Instabeat is the only device on the market that provides a real-time heart rate experience and adds an essential value to your swim training. The technology is easy to use and the lights do not distract the swimmer during training. Although benefits might differ between swimmer experiences, the sensor is definitely a great way to enrich your workout value (e.g. self perception, stamina, variation etc.) and your training creativity. It helps finding the most efficient technique and avoids wasting too much energy on wrong things. It particularly supports your learning of recovery processes as you really perceive that there are days where a correct training zone feels uncomfortable. In terms of metrics and data analytics, the device even allows knowing about absolute values of swimming heart rates and we believe this technology has so much room for extension to make any swim session a motivating experience. That said, Instabeat is a great device that performs very well in a undoubtfully harsh environment for electronic devices.

Curious to learn more about Instabeat? Visit their website www.instabeat.com

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Feel developed by Sentio Solutions Inc. took part in the 34th edition of the WT | Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco and proudly won the “Top Public Award”. The disruptive start-up founded in 2015 impressed the wearable audiences and jury of the Innovation World Cup Series with the emotion-sensing wristband and app, that allows continuous monitoring and real-time personalized interventions for individuals suffering from anxiety and depression. Feel made a big leap to the Semi-finals of the 11th IoT/WT Innovation World Cup®, stand among the promising winners of the WellTech Challenge and top the Healthcare category. Check out their story of success and explore how mental health issues can be solved with Feel.

1. HOW DID THE JOURNEY BEGIN?

Back in 2015, the co-founders of Feel, George Eleftheriou and Haris Tsirbas, both struggled with their mental health. Depressive burnouts and panic attacks led them to start psychotherapy. Even though it was a good investment in themselves, they quickly realized that there are many flaws in the healthcare system.

Psychologists, psychiatrists, and patients rely on outmoded forms of analysis to diagnose, evaluate, monitor, and intervene in the treatment process. Unlike all physical disorders that can be monitored e.g. measure glucose in the case of diabetes, there are no objective data and tools for mental health and no mental health support outside the therapist office. More than that, an appointment at the psychologist most of the times is expensive. Therefore, many people end up without getting help. And this is what they decided to change together.

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2. WHAT ARE THE MOST MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR?

Feel has been awarded and recognized as “TransTech 200” in 2016, “Pioneers Athens”, “Insurance Shaper of the Year 2017”, MITEF Greece Startup Competition and “Top Public Vote” Award at the WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2019 USA. Moreover, we have closed our seed round and have raised a total amount of $1.8 million from Anthemis Exponential Ventures, SOSV, Make in LA and angel investors.

3. WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACED IN YOUR JOURNEY?

We would say that stigma was a great challenge. We had prospective investors suggesting that we shouldn’t talk about personal experiences because it would hurt our chances of getting an investment or asking if we are still in psychotherapy to understand if we are “sane” or capable enough. The lack of objective metrics exacerbates this stigma, since mental health remains as something ineffable, something that cannot be quantified.

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5. WHAT IS COMING IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

The development of biomarkers for management and evaluation of mental illness, indicators of relapse, mood swings, depressive episodes, panic attacks and more.

6.  WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?

We want to elevate the digital era, in which even though there is plethora of solutions, there is still subjectivity, self-diagnosis and stigma. We strive to bring to life the Augmented Mental Health era. Our next step is to begin deployments with major Health Plans and Employers in the US and Europe.

6. HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE IOT/WT INNOVATION WORLD CUP®?

We are very excited to have won the “Top Public Vote” Award at the 34th WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2019 USA. It shows that people really need such a solution. The Innovation World Cup® gave us the chance to spread our idea and vision to many more people. It was a great opportunity.

7. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR THE FUTURE IOT HEROES COMING FROM THE INNOVATION WORLD CUP®?

Choose a cause that you really care about. And choose people who care as much as you do for the cause to make a team.

Explore further:

Understand how Feel Wristband works and acknowledge the power of technology in recognizing human emotions. Enhance individuals’ mental well-being and learn to obtain a fulfilled life.

The Innovation World Cup® is a milestone for hundreds of tech startups worldwide. It is high time to submit your solution before the deadline on September 18th, 2019 approaches. Enter the 11th IoT/WT Innovation World Cup®, the world’s leading competition in the Internet of Things & Wearable Tech, and race for the special prizes:

• WellTech Challenge
• EBV IoT Hero powered by EBV Elektronik
• rapidM2M Challenge powered by Microtronics
• Logistics Game Changer powered by LOXXESS
• Smart Clothing Challenge powered by AIQ Smart Clothing
• Gore Innovation Center Prize powered by Gore
• Trusted Connectivity Award powered by Gemalto

Great prizes worth 500.000$, 10.000€ in cash for the best IoT Solution, free development kits supported by corporate partners STMicroelectronics, EBV Elektronik, Würth Elektronik, and Microtronics, free speaking spots at international tech events, free use of marketing package, significant business network and more are awaiting the leading innovators!

Visit the Hall Of Fame and get to know the faces who have made it to the summit of innovation with the Innovation World Cup® Series. Do you want to be the next? Get your solution ready and reach us now: www.innovationworldcup.com

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VARTA AG Group, an industry leader in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for high-tech consumer products, announced it will expand its production capacities in 2022. After projections were raised at the beginning of June to more than 100 million cells per year by the end of 2020, the company is now planning to further increase production capacities to more than 150 million cells per year by 2022. The company said this expansion is due to continued high customer demand in a market that is growing by more than 30% per annum.

VARTA stands to benefit most strongly from the technological transition away from cylindrical batteries to coin-shaped batteries. With its leading technology, the Group has supported this technological progress in wireless headsets and is setting the industry standard in this area with constant innovations. The Group is striving to attain global market leadership for lithium-ion batteries with a market share of more than 50% in 2020.

Read more VARTA Microbattery Launches Three New Lithium-Ion Cells for Wearables at the ISPO Munich 2019

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“We stand on the cusp of a huge boom in lithium-ion batteries for premium true wireless headsets, from which we are set to benefit enormously. We have developed unique competitive advantages and are growing much faster than the market. For this reason, we are again significantly expanding our production capacities,” said VARTA CEO Herbert Schein.

The capacity expansion requires an additional investment of around € 130m (to manufacture an additional 50 million cells per year). The investment volume is to be financed using the cash flow from the operating activities in connection with additional customer pre-payments. Moreover, the Group has at its disposal a revolving credit facility in the amount of € 80m.

Read more How Thin Cell Batteries Are Revolutionizing the Wearable Industry

“We are registering an enormous and steadily growing order backlog and we have been able to easily forecast short and medium-term demand for lithium-ion batteries. The renewed expansion of production capacities will allow us to continue the high pace of growth, said Steffen Munz, Chief Financial Officer of VARTA.

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Wearable heart monitor company iRhythm is collaborating with Alphabet’s health company Verily on unspecified new technology that will monitor people at risk for atrial fibrillation (Afib). Afib is a common form of irregular heart rhythm that is linked with strokes and other serious health problems. This partnership brings together iRhythm’s expertise in AI based arrhythmia diagnosis and Verily’s advanced health data analytics technologies to address the millions of patients living with undiagnosed AFib.

Read more Wearable Tech Can Safely Detect Atrial Fibrillation, Says Apple Heart Study

“We are excited to partner with iRhythm, a pioneer in ambulatory cardiac monitoring, to find innovative ways to deliver more efficient care to patients with atrial fibrillation,” said Dr. Jessica Mega, chief medical and scientific officer of Verily. “With the high prevalence of cardiovascular-related health issues, we have an opportunity to not only improve how we diagnose, manage and monitor conditions like atrial fibrillation, but also develop patient-centric solutions that could ultimately prevent serious cardiac events.”

iRhythm estimates that more than 10 million Americans are at high risk for Atrial fibrillation. This condition is associated with a five-fold increase in the risk of stroke as compared to those without AFib, with these strokes tending to be more severe and associated with higher mortality rates. For approximately 20% of individuals who experience a stroke due to AFib, the occurrence of AFib was not diagnosed until the time of their stroke or shortly afterward. Further, an estimated one-third of those who have AFib are not aware they have it. Asymptomatic or “silent” AFib is associated with certain risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes and sleep apnea – which increase an individual’s likelihood for developing the disorder, reports Globe News Wire.

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This new partnership aims to address this significant, underserved population at risk for asymptomatic or silent AFib. Under the terms of the agreement, iRhythm and Verily will collaborate on solutions capable of providing earlier warnings, enabling the identification and management of patients that could otherwise go undiagnosed until they have a cardiac event, such as a stroke.

Read more Johnson & Johnson Collaborates with Apple to Use its App with Apple Watch in AFib Study

At the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in May, the first phase of the mSToPS study, published in JAMA, showed that patients who were diagnosed with AFib in iRhythm’s Zio service-monitored group had a significantly lower rate of hospitalizations and emergency room visits than the non-monitored control group. “We are pleased to partner with one of the world’s most reputable healthcare technology companies to better serve the millions of people living with AF today. Verily’s patient-centric approach to disease management and advanced hardware capabilities will prove critical in providing patients and providers with the tools needed to increase the efficiency of heart healthcare,” said Kevin King, president and CEO of iRhythm.

As part of the agreement, iRhythm is making an upfront payment to Verily of $5 million and potential milestone payments of up to $13 million.

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Orchestra BioMed, a Pennsylvania-based biomedical innovation company received CE Mark approval for its Moderato implantable pulse generator system that delivers BackBeat Cardiac Neuromodulation Therapy (CNT) for treatment of hypertension while also providing standard pacemaker functions.

Read more Deaths from Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure Slowing the Progress in Fight Against Heart Disease

Hypertension affects 46% American adults. While the conventional therapy for high blood pressure is through drugs, BackBeat allows even existing cardiac implants to deliver treatment in a novel way by modulating the bioelectronic signals associated with blood pressure control.

“BackBeat CNT is an exciting new approach to device-based blood pressure management and has potential to be a primary treatment modality for the more than two-thirds of pacemaker patients at risk from hypertension,” said Dr. Karl-Heinz Kuck. “In the MODERATO I clinical trial, BackBeat CNT demonstrated excellent efficacy and safety results, particularly given that 78% of the study patients had isolated systolic hypertension and that patients’ average baseline ambulatory systolic blood pressure (137 mmHg) was lower compared to patients in other device-based hypertension studies. I look forward to presenting the six-month primary endpoint results from the MODERATO II study of BackBeat CNT as a late-breaker at TCT later this month.”

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The company’s MODERATO II clinical study of BackBeat CNT was selected by the the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) for a late-breaking science presentation at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2019 annual conference to be held this month. Every year, TCT late-breaking presentations feature major medical research breakthroughs and highlight the latest data on the most innovative treatments that will impact patient care and how physicians treat heart disease. The studies selected examine the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive techniques, pharmaceuticals, therapies and devices that demonstrate potential to treat or prevent cardiovascular disease.

Read more Medtronic’s Implantable System for Remodulin to Treat Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Gets FDA Approval

“CE Mark approval and selection for late-breaking science presentation at TCT validate the potential for BackBeat CNT to benefit targeted high-risk hypertensive patients, such as those already indicated for a pacemaker,” said David Hochman, Chairman and CEO of Orchestra BioMed. “Effective treatment of these patients, the majority of whom have isolated systolic disease and persistent high blood pressure despite conventional pharmaceutical therapies, represents a significant market opportunity that could have substantial growth, value and market share implications for the field of cardiac rhythm management.”

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VivaLNK, a Campbell, CA-based connected healthcare solutions provider, teamed up with Emory University to provide its medical wearable ECG sensors for a study to evaluate autonomic function in predicting coronary artery disease (CAD) and its relationship to depression and long-term outcomes. The study builds upon previous work by Emory researchers titled Circadian Autonomic Inflexibility: A Marker of Ischemic Heart Disease, which associates lower heart rate variability (HRV) with subclinical myocardial ischemia.

Read more VivaLNK Offers its Wearable Healthcare Devices to Stanford University for Study on Stress and Teenage Depression

The VivaLNK ECG patch contains a sensor and accelerometer to capture and generate multiple physiological data including ECG trace, heart rate, RR-interval, and 3-axis motion. About the size of a small bandage, the reusable and rechargeable patch weighs a mere 7.5 grams, and can be worn continuously for 72 hours at-a-time to capture and transmit data in real time, the company said in a press release.

“VivaLNK's ECG patch is very small and comfortable to wear, which are important factors for clinical use and long-term ECG monitoring,” said Amit Shah, MD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. “In addition, the software development kit makes it easy to use the patch for research and product development purposes.”

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The researchers will use the device to remotely monitor patients who are undergoing coronary angiography, in order to measure autonomic function. Participants will be monitored using the ECG patch for continuous 72-hour periods in a clinical and ambulatory environment, which offers a more complete picture in a natural setting.

Read more Apple Joins Eli Lilly to Study How iPhone and Apple Watch Can Detect Signs of Dementia

The goal is to better understand the role of the autonomic nervous system in depression and coronary artery disease, and to develop better tools for clinical assessment.

VivaLNK provides connected healthcare solutions for wellness, patient care, and telemedicine. The company's portfolio includes wearable medical grade devices and data analytics applications that continuously monitor the health and well-being of individuals.

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After announcing its Fenix 6 flagship GPS watch with solar charging last week, Garmin is back with three more wearables for fitness buffs at the IFA 2019. The new watches include the new Venu lineup of GPS watches as well as Vivoactive 4, Vivomove, and Garmin Legacy Hero.

Read more Garmin Announces Fenix 6 – The Next Generation Outdoor GPS Smartwatch with Solar Charging

Venu

The new Venu smartwatch has a bright, colorful OLED display, which can be set to an always-on mode to function as a proper watch. While it looks a lot like the Apple Watch, the Venu offers a much longer battery life and 24/7 health monitoring beyond anything Apple currently provides. If you’re focused on health and wellness, the Venu is for you. The watch offers various health tracking features like heart rate alerts, pulse oximeter, respiration tracking, sleep tracking, stress tracking, hydration tracking, menstrual cycle tracking and more. Venu is meant to be worn 7/24, designed to alert you to important events while in the office, help you meet your fitness goals in the gym, and pay for your groceries on the way home. The Venu is priced at $399.99 with its 1.2-inch display and battery life up to five days or six hours with GPS and music playing. It’ll come in four color options including slate and black, rose gold and sand, silver and granite blue, and gold with black.

Vivomove

Garmin will release 4 watches in the Vivomove series: 3S, 3, Style and Luxe. This is Garmin’s fashion-focused line of watches. They may not look like sports watches, but they are designed to wear daily, at the office, while going out offering many of Garmin’s fitness and health features like Heart rate, pulse oximeter, stress tracking, sleep tracking and more.  The watch’s touchscreen display has a hidden feature that appears only when you need it. Prices range from $249 to $549 and they come in various colors, sizes and band options, reports ZDNet.

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Vivoactive 4 and Vivoactive 4S

The new Vivoactive 4 and Vivoactive 4S come in two case sizes and six color combinations. The have many of the features that are offered in the Venu such as Body Battery, Pulse oximeter, Stress tracking and more. The watches also feature Garmin Pay, offline music, smartphone notifications, Connect IQ, and more. The price is $349.99.

Read more IFA 2019: Latest Wearables Launches and Big Surprises at Europe’s Largest Consumer Electronics Show

Legacy Hero

The new Garmin Legacy Hero Series comes with two options: First Avenger (Captain America) and Captain Marvel. While Garmin offered these types of superhero watches for kids in the past, these new watches are meant for adults. The watch has a touchscreen sunlight-visible display. Other features include: smartphone notifications, downloadable music, Garmin Pay, and Connect IQ. The advanced fitness features include Body Battery, Respiration, Pulse oximeter, Animated workouts, and much more. Running, golfing, cycling, and many other sports are also included. The watches are priced at $399.99.

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by Peter Düking, Strategic Business Consultant at Wearable Technologies

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Introduction

The market for Wearable Technologies is experiencing a consistent growth pattern and there are numerous types of devices with a multitude of applications. Wearables are maturing from products for early-adopters to consumer mass-market products and cannot only be highly beneficial in B2C, but also in B2B Markets. Yet, for business development purposes it is critical to identify the right collaboration partners from different industries to build sustainable products. Additionally, to gain competitive advantage, increasing brand awareness is crucial, especially for start-ups working in this highly innovative and competitive market.

Definition of Wearables and Market Figures

Wearable Technologies can be defined as connected electronics and technologies which are worn close to, on, or even inside the body. Wearables can have different form-factors ranging from Smartwatches to Smart Garments, head-worn Wearables such as Smart Glasses, Hearables or Helmets, and Smart Patches. We estimate that in 2019 around 550 million Wearables will be sold across all industry sectors with rising numbers in the coming years. We estimate that in the near future Smart Patches will make up to 30 % of the overall wearable market.

Users First!

In the past, many products failed because product developments were driven by technological innovations and without having the user and its needs in mind. This impaired mass volume production. A clear understanding of your company’s target group, whether that be e.g. athletes, medical doctors or factory workers, is the basis for Wearable Technologies to become mass volume products. Wearables need to be developed with an ‘identity’ in mind which evolves from the needs, habits, preferred activities of users. Of course, Wearable Technologies need to solve an (at least perceived) problem of the user. Developing and applying Wearable Technologies in such a manner will unearth a unique set of unexpected data enriching the customers (and companies) with information they previously have never had access to which is a fantastic starting point to enhance aspects of peoples life’s as well as for further business development.

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No product development without collaboration

Collaboration is a critical element in any product or service development process. Especially for Start‑Ups it is almost impossible to develop every technological detail of a Wearable on their own, and reliance on, and cooporations with  educated consultants, SME and blue chip corporations in different areas is king. For example, Start-Ups can rely on the expertise of chip manufacturers such as STMicro, or the electronic printing capabilities of VTT, and/or the material innovations developed by DuPont and/or Datwyler Sealing Solutions. All of them have extensive experience in the field of Wearables and enabled many Start-Ups to develop different Wearables already.  Cooperating with such companies could also open doors for cross-industrial marketing of products. Often, technological innovations stemming out of the medical market can be positioned in the sports and/or the industrial safety market and vice versa.  This creates completely new business channels for companies. However, well guided strategies are essential not only to find the right collaboration partners which fit to your individual business,  but also marketing strategies need to be defined in reconciliation with the relevant target group and brand awareness needs to be created.

How to find the right Collaboration Partner?

If you want to learn more about the Value Chain of Wearables and who might be your potential collaboration partner, a visit to the conference and trade show series of the WT | Wearable Technologies Group, stopping respectively in Bangkok/ Singapore and Düsseldorf at the Medical Fair Asia and MEDICA, as well as in Munich, Melbourne and San Francisco.

Additionally, the Innovation World Cup ® which is the most established open innovation platform worldwide is a great opportunity for Start-Ups to  create brand awareness and to win prices to propel business growth. Participation is free-of-charge.

Reach out to us to get professional assistance in your journey of developing wearables!

Consumer electronics giant LG has launched three new Bluetooth 5.0 headsets with stunning sound performance delivered by built-in Meridian Audio technology. The headsets are available for purchase via LG’s website. Prices and availability will vary by provider and retailer.

Read more Dirac Research Enters the Gaming Headset Market With Its Breakthrough 3D Audio Surround Sound

The Hi-Fi Sound Solution with Meridian Audio will give music lovers a clearer and more balanced sound. A composite diaphragm inside the speaker unit produces clarity in high and low ranges. The high-strength metal layer creates accurate treble, while a plastic layer produces rich, deep bass.

These new models feature a fast-charging battery that delivers up to 3 hours of use from only a 10-minute charge. Thanks to dual microphones, each new headset also picks up a wearer's voice more clearly so phone calls are more audible even in noisy environments, LG said in a press release.

“Our partnership with Meridian has helped LG deliver exceptional audio solutions across the home entertainment space for many years,” said Tim Alessi, head of home entertainment product marketing at LG Electronics USA. “By extending the collaboration to the LG TONE lineup, we're proud to bring listeners the same level of high-fidelity audio they've come to enjoy from our wireless speakers and sound bars.”

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HBS-XL7 TONE Flex

The flexible and slim LG TONE Flex with premium EQ by Meridian is designed to be easily carried anywhere, with up to eight hours of play time and weighing only 1.55 ounces. Thanks to 32-bit Hi-Fi DAC, the LG TONE Flex upscales lower-quality files to reproduce high-resolution, finely detailed audio that sounds close to the original studio recording. With a dedicated Google Assistant button, the LG TONE Flex allows users to stay connected, enjoy entertainment, get information and manage their day – all without glancing at their smartphone.

Read more PEEX – A Revolutionary Live Music Platform That Allows Users to Mix Audio from Live Concerts in Real-Time

HBS-SL6S TONE Style and HBS-SL5 TONE Style

The slim and seamless design of the LG TONE Style models SL6S and SL5 give a premium one-body look and comes with up to eight hours of playtime. For an added experience, The LG TONE Style (SL6S) comes with a convenient external speaker that enables wearers to make phone calls or listen to music without the retractable earbuds.

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Taiwanese smart helmet maker JARVISH has been qualified by Taiwan's NCSIST (National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology) for its Augmented Reality smart combat helmet system in the Ministry of Defense's Digital Tactical AR Project.

Related Skully Technologies is the First Company to Market Heads-Up AR Display Helmet with its FENIX AR

To meet the rigorous specifications set by NCSIST, JARVISH spent three years to develop the prototype of its AR smart combat helmet. The system prototype was delivered in early August and passed technical inspection. The first few hundred sets of AR smart combat helmet system are expected to be delivered in 2020 and will be deployed for a field trial. The total requirement is for several hundred thousand systems to the Taiwan Army, the company said in a press release.

The helmet includes a transparent heads up display, AI-assisted threat detection and situational awareness, 4k night vision camera, patent-pending 'super optical' performance, long-range broadband ad hoc communication, and an intrinsically safe military-grade battery.

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“Bringing increased situational awareness to the warfighter and combat commanders will give our customers proactive safety and a superior tactical advantage over their adversaries,” said Jeremy Lu, JARVISH's CEO.

The idea for JARVISH was conceptualized after Jeremy's brother was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident when he was hit by a vehicle that approached from a blind spot. Jeremy sought to make riding motorcycles safer through the use of technology.

JARVISH was founded in 2014 and launched its first smart helmet for motorcycles in 2017, selling more than 1,000 helmets in the first year. The company designs and manufactures smart wearable devices that integrate augmented reality, artificial intelligence and 5G. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, the company also has locations in Silicon Valley and near Washington DC.

Related Livall Bling BH60SE Smart Bike Helmet: Smart, Safe and More

The next-generation smart helmets, the JARVISH X and X-AR can be pre-ordered on Indiegogo with shipments in the U.S. starting in late 2019.

JARVISH also plans on expanding its product portfolio in the U.S. with smart field engineering, law enforcement, and military helmets in 2020.

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Vuzix Now Offers Blade Smartglasses in a New Safety Glasses Rated Version

Vuzix, a leading supplier of Smartglasses and Augmented Reality (AR) products, introduced Vuzix Blade Smartglasses – Safety Certified for enterprise for US$999. The new Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses (Safety Certified) are certified impact resistant meeting both ANSI Z87.1 and CE EN166 safety standards. The glasses are now available for purchase from the Vuzix US and EU websites.

Related Vuzix Blade Now Supports Streaming Video Services and Other Consumer Applications

“The Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses Safety Certified provide not only the necessary protection for many industrial applications and worksites but offer an all-in-one smart wearable technology that can provide work instructions or expert remote support to enterprise workers,” said Paul Travers, Vuzix President and Chief Executive Officer. “Numerous enterprise customers have requested a safety glasses version of the Blade from Vuzix to support their enterprise employees within industrial manufacturing, in the lab, out in the field or on the construction site.”

The global safety glasses market totaled $2.3 billion USD in 2018 and is expected to grow to $3.0 billion USD by 2025, indicating the strong demand for eye protection devices within enterprises and industry, according to Gran View Research. With the introduction of the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses Safety Certified model, users can now wear eye protection and enjoy the power and convenience of smart glasses, Vuzix said in a press release.

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Separately, the Vuzix Blade 'Dads and Grads Summer Spree' program that was announced over the summer around a series of consumer-friendly applications was a great success and has come to an end.  The Vuzix Blade (non-safety certified) is now priced at $799 USD effective immediately.

Related Vuzix-Eaton Partnership to Develop Smartglasses for Hazardous Workplaces

Vuzix’s products include personal display and wearable computing devices that offer users a portable high-quality viewing experience, provide solutions for mobility, wearable displays and augmented reality. Founded in 1997, Vuzix holds 146 patents and patents pending and numerous IP licenses in the Video Eyewear field. The Company has won Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) awards for innovation for the years 2005 to 2019 and several wireless technology innovation awards among others. The company has offices in Rochester, NY; Oxford UK; and Tokyo, Japan.

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The world’s leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances is here. IFA 2019, which kicks off today in Berlin, offers a huge array of wearables for consumers to get their hands on. From smartwatches and fitness trackers to smartglasses and augmented reality headsets, the event will give you a big selection of wearables to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the wearable devices being unveiled at the IFA 2019.

Read more Fossil Launches Nextgen Touchscreen Smartwatches with Wear OS and Extended Battery Life

Puma

PUMA and Fossil Group will launch PUMA smartwatch powered with Wear OS and equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform. PUMA smartwatch, the company’s first smartwatch, is designed to look and feel good, with a cut-out nylon and aluminum case that delivers an ultra-lightweight fit. With Google Fit™, the PUMA Smartwatch can track activities like pilates, rowing, or spinning, and count reps from strength training workouts such as pushups. While in "workout mode," Google Fit can continuously track heart rate, thus making it easy to see if your heart rate is in your ideal range.

Huawei AR/VR Glasses

A collaboration was announced between Huawei and the Korean fashion brand Gentle Monster to develop their first Huawei smartglasses. The AR/VR glasses, which look like normal sunglasses have no camera integration. By doing so, glasses maintain a slim frame and, moreover, privacy is guaranteed. A series of new trademark applications indicate that development of the smartglasses is progressing steadily and may possibly result in an official introduction to IFA 2019.range.

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Michael Kors

Featuring advanced technologies and a highly personal user interface, Michael Kors will unveil three touchscreen smartwatches – Michael Kors Access Lexington 2, Michael Kors Access Bradshaw 2, and Michael Kors Access MKGO. The watches are powered by Google’s Wear OS and run on Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform blending unprecedented customization and innovative performance features with high-fashion designs. This sport-engineered watch is crafted with aluminum and nylon casing for an ultra-lightweight, comfortable feel. With Google Fit™, Michael Kors Access MKGO can track heart rate, making it easy to see if yours is in your ideal range.

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

Asus

Asus will unveil its next smartwatch at the IFA 2019. The Asus VivoWatch SP is designed to be a full health monitor with a built-in GPS and an ECG monitor in a similar way to the Apple Watch 4. The smartwatch is designed for those with adventurous lifestyles, with a variety of fitness monitoring features onboard. VivoWatch featuers a built-in heart rate monitor and comes with altimeter and a Pulse OX feature that allows you to monitor the amount of oxygen in your body. The watch is waterproof up to 50 meters.

Garmin

Garmin will introduce a host of new smartwatches at IFA 2019. The company will take advantage of the event by launching no fewer than four new or updated models. Garmin Vivomove series offers: Vivomove 3 and the Vivomove 3S, the Vivomove Style, and the Vivomove Luxe. Next in line are the Vivoactive watches, offering fitness and activity enthusiasts a cheaper alternative to the Garmin fēnix line. Next, the brand-new Garmin Venu, which is described as Garmin's most direct Apple Watch challenger yet. The smartwatch has the same mix of hardware style and software fitness focus as wearables offered by Apple. The smartwatch, with a bright touchscreen display and aesthetics, is more suited to the gym than the mountains. Lastly, Garmin is partnering with Marvel to introduce a superhero-themed smartwatch. The Legacy Hero Series watches offer either a Captain Marvel or First Avenger theme and all the standard Garmin smartwatch goodies, and on-board GPS.

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Other brands launching their new smartwatches at the IFA 2019 are: Huami, Fitbit, HTC and Samsung.