The latest device to join the wristband club doesn't focus on getting you into shape, and instead provides a more convenient experience for TV lovers.
Manchester Creative Studio students Ryan Oliver, 15, and Jonathon Kingsley, 14, teamed up with TV and broadband provider Virgin Media to bring you a 3D-printed wristband called KipstR that can tell when you've fallen asleep, according to Mashable. Once it knows you've drifted off, it will mimic a TiVo remote to pause and record the TV show you were watching so you don't miss out on what happens.
Features that give KipstR this ability include a pulse oximeter, spark core chip, push button, sleep mode indicator and a tiny LiPo battery.
The pulse oximeter measures oxygen levels to figure out how much oxygen is being sent to the part of the body where the wireless sensor is placed, Daily Mail reported. The blood flow changes once the user falls asleep, which will help the pulse oximeter recognize when someone drifted off, as well as when they are awake again.
The show will resume once the user wakes up, and other people can change the channel while the show is being recorded without interfering with the process.
"We jumped at the chance to work with the Virgin Media team on this project, it was a brilliant challenge for us but we've learnt so much and are really pleased with the end result," Oliver said.
KipstR and similar technology has other potential uses, such as measuring the user's emotional reactions to shows and helping TiVo learn what programs the user responds strongly to, Daily Mail reported. The wristband is also being studied to see if it can sleep-control other connected devices in the home such as the user's central heating.
"It's given us a taste for what we would like to do when we leave school," Kingsley said. "We're excited to see what the next project will bring."
U.K. wearable fans can sign up for a trial with KipstR now, and Virgin Media is letting customers register interest in KipstR from December 2014.
