During its usual annual hardware event, Amazon has presented the halo rise, your first sleep monitor. Their goal, of course, is to help you sleep better. The device integrates a lamp, a small speaker, and multiple sensors interns capable of analyzing your sleep to subsequently provide you with accurate information.
The Halo Rise, according to Amazon, has sensors whose energy consumption is minimal. Also, relies on machine learning to identify patterns during sleep. For example, your breathing or the movements you make during the night. The company explains that its technology was trained to facilitate nocturnal polysomnography, which in simple terms is the study of sleep and helps diagnose possible sleep disorders.
Amazon has put efforts into making the Halo Rise as automated as possible. As soon as you lie down in bed, the device will start to work without having to activate it or turn it on – it does not use batteries, it is connected directly to the electrical current. When you wake up, you can access a summary of your activity with all kinds of information“including a graph that shows the time spent in each phase of sleep, along with a sleep score and information about your sleep environment,” they add.
What do you mean by “sleep environment”? Amazon is aware that the conditions around you also influence your quality of sleep. For this reason, Halo Rise analyzes temperature, humidity and light levels at night. Based on this information, the Amazon Halo app can be used to provide lighting recommendations to optimize the room environment.
Halo Rise integrates with Alexa
Obviously, the Halo Rise will be Alexa-enabled. However, the assistant is not directly integrated into it, so it will be necessary to resort to a secondary device, such as an Amazon Echo, to obtain various data. You can ask him for information about your sleep during the previous night, or to wake you up with a certain song.
“You also have the ability to use Halo Rise as part of a custom Alexa routine. For example, when you get into bed, Alexa can automatically dim the bedroom lights, turn off the TV, and start a relaxing meditation.”
Regarding the issue of privacy, the company says that Halo Rise will keep your information safe and private at all times: “All Amazon Halo health data is encrypted while in transmission and/or stored in the cloud, and you can download or delete your health data at any time directly from the Halo app. Amazon Halo health data is not used for marketing, product recommendations, or advertising, and are never sold. Plus, it doesn’t include cameras or microphones, and you have the option to manually put it on standby, which turns off the sleep-tracking sensor technology.”
Amazon is taking advantage of the arrival of the Halo Rise to introduce a new health service. This, however, is not mandatory for the device, although it is true that it adds additional features. Among them access to tips and exercises for better sleep. “These resources include expert sleep programs from BetterSleep, Mayo Clinic, and Halo designed to help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly,” they mention.
It also offers the option of visually analyze your physical movements through the camera of your smartphone. “Movement Health uses computer vision and machine learning to assess mobility, stability and posture, then recommends a personalized program of corrective exercises and fitness content to help you be more active.” Finally, it includes a nutrition section with more than 850 healthy recipes to improve your diet.
The Amazon Halo Rise will be available later this year for $140 dollars in the United States and will include six months of the described service. At the moment there is no information about its launch and price in other countries.