Video: Microsoft’s Emma Watch fights Parkinson’s disease

The Asian Age With Agency Inputs

Technology, Gadgets

The wearable is making it possible to reduce the tremors and let patients write clearly.

The smartwatch analyses the wearer’s symptoms and vibrates in a customised rhythm created using AI and the built-in sensors.

In its developer conference of 2017, Microsoft showcased a wearable device. However, it’s not meant for assisting a smartphone customer. It is here to fight a dreadful ailment faced by the humans – Parkinson’s disease.

In its demo video, Microsoft researcher Haiyan Zhang is shown to help a 33-year-old woman suffering from the disease write her name. The prototype smartwatch could assist people suffering from this disorder to manage and control tremors in a way that would give them the chance to perform typical daily activities, such as writing.

The smartwatch analyses the wearer’s symptoms and vibrates in a customised rhythm created using AI and the built-in sensors. The vibrations trick the brain into focusing on the wrist, reducing the signals that are sent to muscles that generate the tremors. The watch is still in a development phase, but the Microsoft researcher says that it’s been tested on four different individuals and the results were encouraging for three of them.

(With inputs from: Softpedia)

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