Could Monitoring Tech Keep People Safe?
“Brits are progressively spending more time by themselves,” claims a new Kickstarter programme.
Acticheck – creators of the Assure, a ‘Fit & Forget’ smartband – maintain that solo sports are gaining in popularity; 43% of people now own a bike and more than 2 million run at least once a week.
A survey by the brand revealed that UK adults “spend a quarter of each weekday completely on their own,” with those living in London spending the most time on their own – reportedly an average of as much as seven hours alone every day.
What happens if a person suffers a fall while on their own? The founders of Acticheck explain: “Receiving assistance immediately after an immobilising fall improves the chance of survival by 80% yet most alarms rely on the wearer pushing a button – impossible if the wearer is incapacitated.”
To tackle this problem, the Assure was created to act as a continuously-monitoring personal alert system. The band launched today on Tuesday (27th January) on Kickstarter, to help raise the final funds to develop the much-needed accompanying app to enable them to take the Acticheck Assure system out of the home and potentially save lives, and after 24 hours has already raised nearly £3,000.
Backers offering £100 will get the product before it goes on general release, while those who spend £750 can challenge the founders to do anything they want (as long as it’s legal), with evidence of their actions – no matter how embarrassing – to be delivered on video.
Due to its new battery management technology, the Assure reportedly has a two year battery life and never needs recharging. It’s also waterproof and shockproof so the band can be worn at all times – even in the shower.
The band sends a pro-active alert to nominated persons in the event of an accident or health concern. It also keeps track on the wearer’s location using the GPS functionality of a smartphone. Should they experience an accident while out alone, they can be found and given help, fast.
Acticheck’s founder, Karl Gibbs, added: “We were keen to help people celebrate their independence by providing a technology that, unlike pendant alarms for example, can be used anywhere at anytime, in the home or outdoors. What we’ve done is create a wearable technology, suitable for anyone, that breaks boundaries in terms of battery life, alert functionality and usability – we’re hoping the Kickstarter community loves it as much as we do.”
