In today's day and age, everything is becoming smart - ranging from smartphones to appliances to fashion accessories; technology has never failed to find its way to the daily devices of the society. Another unique thing that has been smart-ified comes in the form of a sock. The Owlet is a smart sock that monitors the heart rate and oxygen saturation of infants.
The Owlet smart sock utilizes the very same type of technology called pulse oximetry. It is the same type of technology that is being used in hospitals to monitor the vital signs of babies. It works similar to the clip nurses and doctors put on the patients' fingers whenever they are confined in the hospital. There is a small light that shines through the patient's skin to estimate the blood flow and oxygen levels based on the amount of light transmitted to the sensor.
Parents can pair their iPhones with the smart sock. And for added safety measures, it is designed to function independently without one. If the parent's iPhone runs out of batteries or the internet connection goes out, the Base Station that comes with Owlet will still send alerts should anything happen to an infant. The Base Station will even upload the infant's heart rate and oxygen levels to the Cloud for added storage. Anyone with permission can monitor the infant's vitals anywhere they are.
The company behind the baby monitoring device has recently announced that they are going out of beta this weekend, and new parents that want to purchase the product will now be able to avail one. The announcement had come at the same time parents made testimonials about the products as well.
"Andrew, Pia, and Easton. These are the names of the babies who were unable to breathe in the middle of the night, and their parents were alerted by the Owlet Monitor in time to intervene. Two of the children were turning blue when their mothers picked them up and stimulated them to start breathing again," wrote the company's founder, Jordan Monroe.
The Owlet is now up for orders for USD $249 a piece - a small price to pay when it comes to ensuring the safety and security of infants, not to mention the peace of mind of parents in today's world where science and technology are prevalent.
