The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given the company Amazon permission to market a bedside gadget that employs radar to track sleep patterns.
This does not come as a complete surprise. At the beginning of this year, we published an article in which we discussed an upcoming non-contact gadget from Amazon that would be able to detect symptoms of sleep apnea. The information for the story came from an article that was published in Business Insider.
It seems like there will be a little hexagonal pad around the size of your hand that will be attached to a metal wire base that will sit on top of your bedframe. While you are unconscious and lying down, the device will broadcast millimetre-wave radar in order to monitor your respiration.
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The technological means
This kind of technology has been seen in different types of gadgets. A review of Sleep Score Max was published on our site in 2018. The device makes use of a radar-like technology that is analogous to the echolocation system that is used by bats. The gadget that is placed next to your bed can determine the depth of your sleep without physically touching either you or the mattress.
It seems that the Amazon gizmo is something along these lines. A device that monitors your sleep but does not require you to wear wristbands or mattress strips. However, it goes farther than Sleep Score Max in the sense that it will be able to monitor for indicators of sleep apnea in addition to measuring sleep quality.
The illness may be recognized by episodes of shallow breathing or pauses in breathing that occur when a person is sleeping. At least one billion people throughout the world are affected by it.
“Brahms” is the code name for the sleep monitoring gadget that is currently in the process of being created. This is a nod to the German composer who was responsible for the lullaby. According to the article, the group has been toiling away at it for at least a year now. The long-term objective is to develop the technology to the point where it can detect various types of sleep problems.
There are already products available on the market that are able to monitor the condition known as sleep apnea. With its Sleep Analyzer monitoring pad, Withings is now in the lead among its competitors. More recently, the French company has increased the capabilities of the Swatch. Because of this, the clock is the first wrist gadget that is capable of monitoring its condition. Although the watch is now on sale in Europe, its release in the United States is contingent on receiving clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Devices to combat sleep apnea are also being developed by other businesses, such as Garmin and Fitbit, amongst others. However, we have not yet seen anything concrete come from their side of things.
FCC approval
The FCC recently approved an Amazon sleep monitoring device that functions similarly to a radar.In June, they submitted a request for a waiver to be granted authorization to use radar sensors that operate at greater power levels than are now permitted. The objective is to create a map of the movements of people in the immediate area.
In the documentation, there are two different applications outlined for these high-frequency radio waves. The first one is for controlling a gadget without touching it by using gestures and motions instead. Another potential use is contactless monitoring of sleep patterns. In order for Amazon to engage in activities of this kind, it must first get authorization from the FCC, which is the government agency responsible for regulating the airwaves.
The retail giant mentions in the waiver that the functionality in question may be of assistance to those of a certain age or those who suffer from a disability. Not only would it make the company’s products more accessible, but it may also have positive effects on people’s health.
According to what was said in the filing by Amazon, these gadgets would provide customers with the ability to “estimate sleep quality based on movement patterns.”
“The use of radar sensors in sleep monitoring might increase knowledge and management of proper sleep hygiene, which could, in turn, yield considerable health advantages for a number of people in the United States.”
The fact that it is described as something that might be kept on a nightstand is another further indicator that it is. According to Amazon’s description, the technology would be included in stationary gadgets that would be connected to a power supply.
According to a statement made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), “Granting the waiver will provide substantial public benefit by, among other things, permitting the deployment of applications that can provide assistance to persons with disabilities and improve personal health and Fitness.”
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“We believe that, without the higher power levels that are associated with the waiver, it is highly likely that Amazon would not be able to produce devices that transmit with large enough bandwidths to provide sufficient resolution to achieve these objectives.” This is based on our belief that it is highly likely that Amazon would not be able to produce devices that transmit with large enough bandwidth to achieve these objectives. “
On Amazon, Halo, a fitness band that measures body fat, was just made available for purchase. However, it is clear that the massive online retailer has far loftier goals in mind when it comes to the realm of health and fitness.
