Although conceptual, the Apple Watch Pillbox highlights a rather novel use-case for the company’s health-tracking smartwatch, building on its personality of being a life-saving piece of tech.
Every year, as Tim Cook takes the stage to announce the next series of the Apple Watch, he simultaneously also talks about how many letters and emails he’s received from people claiming that the watch saved their life. Whether it was detecting a fall or a crash, to any anomalies in body temperature or heart rate, the watch is great at knowing when something is off (either noticeably or not) and alerting you or your caretaker as soon as possible. This watch strap with an integrated pillbox takes the watch one step further, helping people stay healthy by following their medication routine religiously.
Designer: Zhiwen
Designed as a simple silicone strap and sleeve that attaches to your Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Pillbox gives you a tiny pill container right underneath the watch body, letting you easily carry your medication with you wherever you go. The watch permanently sits on your wrist so the chances of forgetting to carry your meds are much lower, and a health-monitoring app on the watch constantly tracks your health and reminds you to take your meds at exactly the right time.
The way the app, at least in this situation, works is by tracking the wearer’s blood pressure – a feature that isn’t there on the Apple Watch yet, but we’re working with hypotheticals, at this point. When the watch detects an anomaly, it gives you a gentle notification, allowing you to be aware. If the situation worsens, the watch lets you know it’s time to take your meds, and if there’s no improvement, the watch alerts your caretaker/guardian so they can check in on you. Caretakers can also remotely keep track of your health stats too, just as a safety measure.
Although the Apple Watch can’t actively measure its wearer’s blood pressure, the idea of having a pillbox attached to your watch has various merits. For starters, the watch can measure your heart rate, take an EKG, and even check your blood O2 levels. It’s estimated that in the future, the watch will be able to non-invasively check your blood sugar levels. In such a scenario, knowing exactly when to take an insulin shot would be absolutely crucial. Similarly, for people suffering from a variety of ailments that require monitoring and medication, having a health tracker on your wrist along with a pillbox sounds like a pretty neat idea.
