Post date: Sep 30, 2013 1:59:41 PM
USA (Next Media) - An ‘intelligent’ sleep mask called ‘Zizz’ was displayed at TechCrunch Disrupt 2013 in San Francisco by a Warsaw-based startup called IQ Intelclinic. The company claims that the device can interpret and optimize sleep quality by using a combination of sensors and artificial intelligencesoftware which transmit the information to a smartphone app.
Three sensors in the mask which measure brain waves, eye movement, and muscle tension, monitor the wearer’s sleep cycles, both REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM. The mask’s electronics send a signal to an amplifier, analyze the signal, and then signal over Bluetooth to the user’s smartphoneThe average sleep cycle is 90 minutes long, on average. If a cycle is interrupted, a person might not feel well rested. Instead of waking people up at a pre-determined time as an alarm clock does, ‘Zizz’ is programed to wake the user after a full sleep cycle is completed. After a designated number of sleep cycles pass, the smartphone sends a signal to the mask to trigger the start of the wake-up process. LED lights in the mask which sit near the user’s eyes gradually get brighter to gently wake the user.
The prototype is charged using a battery, but IQ Intelclinic will launch a Kickstarter campaign to produce a device that works with microUSB. The device will sell for $225. ‘Zizz’ is still in the early stages of development and will require FDA approval before it can reach the market.
SOURCES:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24237283
http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/14/the-zizz-is-an-intelligent-sleep-mask-which-helps-you-get-better-zzzs/
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/info/2013-09/17/c_132727320.htm
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