Though we'd all like to believe that we'd know when something's not quite right with our four-legged friends, a helping hand wouldn't go amiss. At CE Week in New York today Gizmag was introduced to the Voyce wearable health band and supporting service that help keep track of a dog's health and habits.
i4C Innovations says that the proprietary technology used in its Voyce wearable collar was developed in collaboration with biomedical engineers, dog experts and Cornell University. The first part of the company's three part approach involves using the health band to get a clearer picture of your best friend's health and habits.
The band is adjustable to fit neck sizes between 12 and 32 inches (30.5 - 81 cm), weighs less than 6 oz (170 g), including the strap, and is IP67-rated against ingress from dust and water. There's a multi-function button to the front, and an LED status indicator next door. Inside is a 3-axis accelerometer, an onboard microcontroller to process the proprietary data analysis algorithms, and a Li-Pol battery that's estimated to last for up to a week before needing to charged via micro-USB.
Like the similar PetPace collar, the tech monitors a dog's key vital health signs, such as heart and respiratory rates at rest, activity levels, calories burned, and other wellness indicators.
The device logs health and activity levels each day, providing a better understanding of a dog's behavior, diet, exercise patterns and habits to help keep the wet-nosed family member in tip-top condition. It allows canine guardians to keep track of trends and look for changes that could indicate pending problems. The dog's own personal portfolio is made available via a browser-based interface on an owner's PC or mobile device over 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi.
"When you first set-up the Voyce band, there are a few easy steps to configure Voyce to your home Wi-Fi network," i4C's Emily Hartman told Gizmag. "Voyce can be configured to up to 10 Wi-Fi networks. Once Voyce is configured, it will sync periodically automatically. Using the button on the front of the Voyce band the user may also force a sync if they choose too. Once the data is synced, proprietary algorithms interrupt the data and then make it available in the secure member’s portal where the pet parent can easily access it virtually anytime and anywhere."
Subscribers to the service will also be sent tips, reminders, advice and links to relevant reading, including exclusive content and tools authored by top canine experts like Dr. Alexandra Horowitz and Dr. Andy Roark.
The system also allows animal health professionals to dig deep into the routines, exercise patterns and overall condition of a Voyce-monitored dog, helping vets to see exactly what's happening between visits.
The Voyce wearable health band is due for launch later this (northern) summer for US$299, plus a monthly membership fee of $15.
The Voyce system is introduced in the video below.
Source: Voyce
