Consumer Electronics Show Brimmed With Gadgets for Healthy Living

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas brimmed with innovative gadgets from bracelets that measure body fat to robots that coach children through chemotherapy, thus promising a healthier life. California-based Neurosky and Melomind of Paris exhibited gadgets that could measure brain activity for reducing fatigue or stress. California-based Neurosky displayed a headset that captured signals emitted by firing neurons and then equated various frequencies to states of mind such as how hard one is thinking or how much they appreciate something.

There were several stylish wrist wears for measuring activity, sleep, and even mood. An InBody wristband priced at $180 can measure how much of a wearer's body is made up of fat, and will hit the market in March. InBody has had scales which are used by professional sports teams, medical facilities, the US military, high-end fitness centers that give detailed analysis of body composition by sending mild electric charges through people from the bottoms of their feet to their thumbs pressed against contact points on handles.

Switzerland-based company, Valedo Therapy, came up with a medical product for exercise therapy. A digital back coach with sensors on the chest and back that feed signals to newer model iPhones or iPads that are synched to video games make exercise therapy fun.

RxRobots of Canada had humanoid MEDi robots designed to befriend children in medical settings and reduce pain or fear associated with treatments ranging from vaccinations to chemotherapy. RxRobots medical advisor Gerald Bushman said that the software brains in MEDi robots were crafted with the help of a child psychologist and include voice and face recognition features so the friendly robots can recognize children. He said, "MEDi is meant not only to distract a child, but to teach him or her coping mechanisms that give them some mastery of their environment."

France-based Visiomed showed off ThermoFlash, a contact-free thermometer being used by the World Health Organization, NATO and others in the battle against Ebola. The thermometer measures body temperature by being pointed at a person's temple which can be synched to smartphone applications that coach users in what steps to take and what to tell health care providers in emergencies.

TempTraq patches were also part of the CES. These patches stick to sick babies like adhesive bandages to monitor body temperature and send updates to parents' smartphones or tablets.

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Analyst Stephen Baker concluded, “There are more wearable health gadgets here than ever before. The bottom line is that people are thinking about tracking health and fitness and that is a good thing.”

Source-Medindia