Have you heard of mood rings? If you haven’t, these are basically rings that supposedly change color according to how you are feeling. Whether or not you believe that such things work is a debate for another day, but a Kickstarter campaign for a wearable called Sence is essentially doing the same thing, except in a more hi-tech way.
As you can see in the video above, Sence is essentially like a fitness track that can be worn on the wrist. According to its creators at Planextra, they claim that the device is capable of detecting as many as 64 emotions. This is accomplished through the use of electrocardiography (ECG) that records your heart’s electrical activity. While ECGs aren’t exactly new and neither are its uses, Planextra claims that their version can deliver medical-grade accuracy on a consumer product.
So how does the band track emotions? According to the description, “All our emotions leave a unique footprint in this constant battle between sympathetic and parasympathetic control. These footprints can be read using heart rate variability (HRV) analysis of ECG data. Since Sence accurately tracks R-peaks it can identify the unique signals associated with each emotion.”
If you’re wondering what’s the point, basically by keeping track of your emotions, you can better understand yourself. For if you notice that at a certain time everyday you find yourself getting stressed out, you can break that routine and do something else to change that feeling. The ECG can also be useful in trying to find out when is the best time to go to the gym. Its accompanying app and social features can also let you know how someone in your network is feeling, so maybe you can offer some emotional support.
It’s an interesting idea and one that definitely pushes the boundaries of what wearables can do beyond what is offered today. Whether or not Sence will work as advertised remains to be seen, but if you’re interested you can pledge to its Kickstarter.
Filed in . Read more about Crowdfunding, Fitness, Health, Kickstarter and Wearable Tech.