Amazon has revealed quite a chunk of new as well as improved products at the fall Echo and Alexa hardware event, and I’m quite intrigued by one of them. This is the all-new Halo Rise sleep tracker and bedside lamp that comes just at a time when wearable sleep trackers are gaining traction in the wellness market.
The USP here is the fact that the Halo Rise tracks your slumber without the need to wear a smartwatch or fitness band. This will pique the interest of insomniacs who don’t like wearing any gadget overnight.
Designer: Amazon
All the data gaging is done by radar sensors and low-power radio signals, sans any microphone or camera which makes the wellness and lifestyle gadget different. As you toss and turn during the night every micro movement is detected, along with the patterns in breathing to ascertain the sleep score.
According to Amazon, the product has been extensively tested for its efficacy in daily life situations and the algorithm has been validated, “against the clinical gold standard for sleep analysis.” Instances where two people are sleeping on the same bed or your dog cuddles alongside. Things like age, body type, the ambient temperature of room, humidity, and other factors are also considered.
Halo Rise sits on your bedside table and employs machine learning technology to learn better about your sleep patterns. Things like REM and deep sleep, to access the quality of sleep for better suggestions via the accompanying app. The important thing to note here is that the Halo Rise will track the person closest to the device. There are loads of ambient light settings depending on mood or one can choose presets for things like simulated sunrise or wake-up based on the stage of the sleep cycle.
Amazon has put much emphasis on the encryption of the data sent back to the servers and said that they’ll never use it for any advertising or marketing purpose. According to Melissa Cha, Vice President of Amazon Smart Home and Health; quality sleep is very important for overall well-being, and Halo rise is designed to work seamlessly in the background for, “a new and effortless way to manage your sleep and achieve sleep-life harmony.”
The gadget supports Alexa and with a compatible Echo device, one can add soundscapes for morning alarms to sync with the lamp’s timing. Alexa can also be prompted to talk about the sleep summary for a quick morning update. The app can be used to personalize sleep routines and get a more in-depth summary of the sleep in long term.
Amazon will begin shipping Halo Rise in the US later this year with a price tag set at $139.99. This will include six months of free Halo membership which will cost $3.99/month after that period. When the gadget will be released in other parts of the world is still shrouded in mystery though.
