Sleepman

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Sleepman
Sleepman01.jpg
Category Limb-mounted
Developer Avantechs Inc [1]
Announced May 2016 (NBC4 News Health & Fitness Expo)[2]
Released Developers:
Consumers: December 2016 (for crowdfunding backers)[2]
Price 250 USD [3]
Operating system none (can connect to PC, Android, iOS)
Sensors

heart rate, electrodermal activity, accelerometer, gyroscope [2]

Weight 50 g [4]
Controls

buttons, smartphone [2]

Data available Good
Risk factor Low
Standalone
https://sleepman.com
Disassembled Sleepman prototype.

Sleepman is a wristband device that aims to enhance user's quality of sleep and detect drowsiness thanks to built-in heart rate and electrodermal activity sensors. The device tracks the user's sleepy cycles and wakes them up at the desired time when they are in the stage of light sleep.[5] It also helps with short naps by waking the user just before he enters deeper stages of sleep.[6]

A gel pad electrode can be connected to the device. The user then attaches the pad to their palm and the device sends electrical impulses during the night.[7] The company claims this will increase the amount of deep sleep the wearer experiences up to 40% of their total sleep time. Sleepman can also prevent car accidents by detecting early fatigue and drowsiness and alarm the driver to take a rest.[8]

The device can also function as a fitness and wellness tracker when paired with a smartphone with the Sleepman app installed.[9]

Animation showing different modes of Sleepman .

Main characteristics

Sleepman is a wearable limb-mounted device that is worn on the wrist. The device is standalone but can be paired with a smartphone or a personal computer via Bluetooth.[10] It does, however, require these to fully fulfil its functions as the Sleepman app not only acts as a wellness tracker that displays charts for recorded data, but also expands possible features.[11]

The official website advertises 8 distinct features of Sleepman: Bio-Smart Alarm, Power Nap Alarm, Doze-off Alert, Sleep Enhancer, Heart Rhythm Monitor, Sleep and Activity Tracker, Panic Alarm, and InsomniZap.

A man wearing Sleepman with a heart rhythm monitor attached .

Bio-Smart alarm monitors user's sleep cycle and tries to wake them up around the time the set the alarm but do it during the light phases of their sleep. This in turn should make them feel well rested. Power Nap Alarm monitors the sleep activity while the user is taking a short nap and tries not to let the user slip into deeper phases of sleep so they do not wake up more tired. Doze-off Alert is designed mainly for drivers. In this mode, the device monitors drowsiness of the user and alarms them when their fatigue increases to avoid a potential microsleep and car accident. Sleep Enhancer uses an additional wired gel electrode that the user adhesively attached to the inside of their palm. The weak electrical current stimulating the palm is advertised to enhance the sleep quality of the wearer. Hear Rhythm Monitor records the heart rate of the user and can warn them in case of arrhythmia or high heart rate. Sleep and Activity Tracker uses all sensors to record and track data about the user's health. It provides information on "sleep patterns, daytime activity and concentration levels" of the user and makes this information available in the Sleepman smartphone/PC app. Panic Alarm is a feature that can be pre-programmed to send an emergency message or dial an emergency number should the user run into an accident. This feature requires pairing up the device with a smartphone. InsomniZap is a computer game that uses the biological feedback recorded by the device to ease the user into sleep. It is mainly focused on children but the company states that all can benefit from it.

Sleepman Sleep enhancer attachable palm electrode

The device's outer shell is made from plastic polymer with anti-allergic properties.[12] The device features a coloured LED display of undisclosed properties. The user controls the device by two physical buttons and they can also pair the device with a smartphone or a personal computer. The wristband of the device has RGB LED lights for signalling built-in. The battery of the device is a rechargeable 3.7V battery[13] that is advertised to last from 48 hours up to 1 week of use.[14]

Purpose

Woman driver wearing Sleepman.

Sleepman aims to enhance the quality of sleep and help against fatigue. It is also an activity tracker that records health data such as the heart rate, movement, and sleep cycle.

Company & People

The device is developed by an American company Avantechs Inc. from Boulder, Colorado.[1][15] The company was founded in 2008 and describes itself as an multi-disciplinary research and development company.[16]

  • Prof. Alex Praskovsky, Ph.D. - Founder
  • Dr. Serge Gurland, Ph.D. - Hardware developer
  • Dr. Pavel Krapiva, M.D., Ph.D. - Sleep and neurology consultant
  • Mike Martin, J.D. - Financial and legal consultant
  • Michael Radomyselsky - Senior developer and technical advisor
  • Mark Carter - Testing coordinator
  • Lin Chu Ming - Manufacturing partner and consultant
  • Max Melomed - Software developer
  • Andrew Praskovsky - Engineering and design coordinator
  • Maxim Kurguzov - Firmware and software developer

Important Dates

  • October 2014 - Creation of the first Sleepman prototype[1]
  • March 2016 - Device concept introduced at Mid-America Transportation Show[17]
  • May 2016 - Prototype introduced at NBC4 New York Health & Fitness Expo
  • 21 June 2016 - Beginning of the Kickstarter campaign[18]

Enhancement/Therapy/Treatment

Enhancement. - The device is designed to improve user's quality to sleep, help them relax, offer statistics about their health, and act as a safe guard from sleeping while driving.

Ethical & Health Issues

Public & Media Impact and Presentation

As of the beginning of August 2016, the Kickstarter campaign is still ongoing and there are no reviews of the device yet. However we noted a number of articles that mention the device and/or the Kickstarter campaign.

PR Newswire featured an article titled "Tired of Being Tired? Take Control of Your Sleep With Sleepman". The article was written by the PR department of Sleepman and describes the device in general terms and also points at the Kickstarter campaign. The article briefly describes the company too.[16]

Sleeptrackers magazine informs about the launch of the Kickstarter campaign and begins the article by describing Sleepman as a "novel, next-generation wearable". The article describes the features of the device in general terms, it does not offer any assessment apart from the introductory paragraph.[19]

Public Policy

We are not aware of any policy that is regulating or is otherwise relevant to this device in particular.

Related Technologies, Projects or Scientific Research

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/1143708961
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1143708961/sleepman-the-first-sleep-enhancement-and-fatigue-a
  3. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1143708961/sleepman-the-first-sleep-enhancement-and-fatigue-a#project_faq_176368
  4. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1143708961/sleepman-the-first-sleep-enhancement-and-fatigue-a#project_faq_176354
  5. https://sleepman.com/sleep-optimization/#alarm
  6. https://sleepman.com/sleep-optimization/#powernap
  7. https://sleepman.com/sleep-optimization/#SleepEnhancer
  8. https://sleepman.com/doze-off-alert/
  9. https://sleepman.com/wellness-tracker/
  10. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1143708961/sleepman-the-first-sleep-enhancement-and-fatigue-a#project_faq_176357
  11. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1143708961/sleepman-the-first-sleep-enhancement-and-fatigue-a#project_faq_176358
  12. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1143708961/sleepman-the-first-sleep-enhancement-and-fatigue-a#project_faq_176353
  13. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1143708961/sleepman-the-first-sleep-enhancement-and-fatigue-a#project_faq_176362
  14. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1143708961/sleepman-the-first-sleep-enhancement-and-fatigue-a#project_faq_176363
  15. https://sleepman.com/contact/
  16. 16.0 16.1 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tired-of-being-tired-take-control-of-your-sleep-with-sleepman-583777681.html
  17. http://www.truckingshow.com/search?field_categories_for_search_value=All&combine=avantechs
  18. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1143708961/sleepman-the-first-sleep-enhancement-and-fatigue-a/updates
  19. http://sleeptrackers.io/sleepman-wearable-kickstarter/