Spire Announces Health Tag, a Wearable for Health Monitoring

November 2017 - Spire, a San Francisco based startup, has revealed its latest wearable the Health Tag, reportedly their smallest and most versatile sensor yet. The Health Tag is approximately the size of a thumb and is intended to be attached to pieces of clothing to monitor breathing, heart rate, and sleep quality. Each sensor has a battery life of approximately one year and is water (and washing machine) proof. Sold in packs of three, eight or fifteen the Health Tags are meant to be left in place, not put on and taken off. The tags can then wirelessly connect to a smartphone app so users can monitor their biodata. Users can select outcomes such as sleeping better, staying more active, or reducing tension and based on their data; the app will suggest exercise or breathing routines. 

 

The designers behind Health Tag wanted users not to have to fidget with their device, rather, they wanted a wearable that could be attached to various pieces of clothing such as day and sleepwear and working together, help users monitor, track, and initiate activities that would impact their day to day health. Spire CEO Jonathan Palley wrote, “To bring the (wearable) industry forward we had to make the wearable disappear.” The more someone uses their Health Tag, on their work out clothes, their work clothes, and even pajamas, the more data will be available to them to make informed decisions about their health. When designing the notifications, Palley said that their aim was not to be intrusive, "If you're having a healthy day, we shouldn't be bugging you.” Unlike fitness trackers with a focus on exercise, Spire’s product is for all ages and activity levels. Spire hopes that Health Tag’s flexibility and discrete design will appeal to all users with an interest in improved health monitoring. Because the smartphone app is the user interface, if the app is accessible, this wearable health system could have utility for people with disabilities. Other wearables, like smart watches, may have accessibility barriers by nature of the form factor. Such as displays that are too small for some people with low vision or tiny buttons that are difficult to access for those with dexterity disabilities. The fidget-free Spire system avoids these design barriers. Source: Caroline Cakebread, Business Insider