Wearables for grownups get most of the media hype – Fitbit, Jawbone, and Shine – but don’t think that babies have been left out of the quantifiable self craze. Whether they like it or not, babies can now be tracked as well, with devices ranging from teddy bears to turtles.
One of the companies in this list pitched at SxSW in March. One of the judges pointed out the potential overkill of all these trackers, “The main thing you want to know when you have a new baby is, ‘Is she alive?’ I can see all this data making parents even more crazy about their baby’s health and calling the doctor about every little thing.”
All of these trackers should have context built around this data, something like a freak-out factor (FOF). If it happens once, stay calm. An increasing number of potentially problematic readings should slowly increase the FOF, until reaching the “call the doctor” threshold. So, track your baby if you must, but remember to watch your own FOF, too.
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The Sproutling monitor is a band that goes around an infant’s ankle and it analyzes the baby and the environment. The band tracks the baby’s heart rate, skin temperature and movement, while also tracking the room’s temperature, humidity and even light levels. Sproutling is working with Xerox Parc researchers to develop a new statistical model to lead parents to actionable advice.
The firm behind Fitbit, NewDealDesign, partnered with Sproutling to help with things like branding and industrial design that improve the product as well.
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The Owlet Baby Monitor is a baby boot, or sock, designed by parents to track an infant’s vitals such as heart rate, oxygen levels, temperature and sleep habits. The sock also features an alert to notify parents if the child has turned face down in the crib.
The material of the hypoallergenic sock is food grade, so if the child does what most children do and stick it in their mouth, nothing would happen to the baby’s health. The Owlet also uses simple LED lights and sensors which replicate technology used in adult health trackers.
The Owlet monitor is wireless and electronic components are stored in a water-resistant, medical-grade silicone case to ensure protection from electrical contact.
Owlets can be ordered for $250 and come in colors of blue and pink. They can be bought here.
The Mimo machine washable, organic cotton onesie, or Kimono, connected with the Mimo Turtle, monitors a baby’s respiration, skin temperature, body position, sounds and activity level. Once collected, all of this data is sent to the Mimo Lilypad Base Station via Bluetooth, allowing Mimo to process the information and send it to parents’ smartphones in real time.
The Mimo app (available for iPhones and Android devices) allows parents to see their child’s data, set alerts to notify them of any changes and view trends about their child’s sleep over time.
Mimo Turtle monitors, which attach onto the onesie and monitor respiration on its own, are chew-safe and water resistant to avoid technical problems.
Starter packages for Mimo, currently only for children aged 0-3 months, cost $199.99 and include 3 Mimo Kimonos, 1 Lilypad Base Station and 1 Turtle. Additional sizes will be added soon. Additional separate Kimonos are sold in a 2-pack at $29.99 and work with any Turtle and Lilypad.
The Sensible Baby SmartOne is a small monitor that fits into the pocket of a child’s pajamas or attaches to their clothing. The small device monitors a child’s position, temperature and movement then sends the information to the parent’s smartphone or tablet. The device and app allow custom alerts for the sleeping environment of your infant, and the low-energy device allows for long battery life. The monitor itself emits a low energy radio signal ensuring child safety.
The Sensible Baby SmartOne can be reserved now for $99. When the sensor goes on sale later in 2014, the price will be $149.
