Although we should always be aware of our body’s condition, it wasn’t until recently that people became more acutely aware of the need to monitor our health on a regular basis. Regular checkups might not always be feasible, especially if they’re spaced too far apart or too pricey, and that’s one of the major reasons why people put it off until it’s too late. Smartwatches and some fitness trackers have now gained the ability to keep track of some of these health points, but that isn’t really practical when you want to monitor the health of every member of the family. That’s the kind of situation that OPPO designed its first-ever product under its OHealth brand, bringing together the equivalent of six pieces of medical equipment in one beautiful device.
Designer: OPPO
Nothing scares people more than medical and dental equipment, some of which may look more like torture instruments than health tools. The mere sight of these literally clinical objects sometimes causes stress in some people, which is another reason why some stay away from checkups. Bringing these home for personal use is not only impractical but also pointless since many of them require training to use and decipher.
In stark contrast, the OPPO OHealth H1 device looks clean, smooth, and totally harmless. Its design is reminiscent of a pebble, one of OPPO’s favorite natural objects, or a bar of soap. Either way, it’s imagery that inspires calmness and confidence, and it’s not something you might expect to come from a machine that can tell you if you’re in danger of a heart attack or worse.
Despite its unassuming looks, the OHealth H1 is actually packed with health features equivalent to six diagnostic tools. Some, like heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen measurement, sleep monitoring, and body temperature detection, might sound commonplace, considering how some smartwatches already have these functions. OPPO’s device, however, offers better accuracy and performance since it isn’t space-constrained like wearables. In addition, the OHealth H1 is also able to perform functions not available on smartwatches, like proper ECG reading and, more interestingly, cardiopulmonary auscultation. The latter is the medical term used for what doctors listen for when they place a stethoscope on your chest or back.
The OHealth H1 may sound like a portable diagnostic clinic, but it is designed to be approachable and accessible to ordinary people. All you need to do is to either put your finger on a specific area on the bottom of the device or place the device on a person’s forehead, chest, or back. And you don’t have to be a doctor to make sense of all the data because OPPO’s companion mobile app and AI will make the interpretation for you.
The OPPO OHealth H1 will never be able to replace a professional healthcare worker, but it can at least give parents and family members hints on the state of their health, especially for those in charge of other members’ welfare. More importantly, the health monitor’s gentle and almost disarming design removes psychological barriers to keeping tabs on one’s health, which could be a matter of life or death for people who’d never see a doctor otherwise.
