News today that Daatrics, a company that specializes in wearable devices, is reinventing the way baby monitors work. For its part, Daatrics, which was founded in 2014, is a London-based design house that has spent a couple of years, generously funded by its investors, playing around with different wearable opportunities.
Its first product, Neebo, is an infant-care system including an egg-shaped wearable, a mobile app and a charging station. The idea of the product is to give new parents an unheard of amount of data and statistics about their baby.
Now, I have to say that I'm a bit of a skeptic about baby monitors of either the analog or digital variety. When my children were young, my wife and I had a pragmatic approach toward their care. We would, of course, put them to sleep in a position as advised by medical specialists and we would, also of course, make sure there were no dangers around them that could cause them harm. Beyond that, however, we determined that they would generally let us know when they needed tending and that having a baby monitor would only heighten our anxiety and do little for them.
I realize of course that there are parents who approach this issue very differently, and for them Neebo may well be an ideal option. Neebo monitors a baby's heart rate, oxygen saturation, thermal state and sound and, as well as the monitoring functionality, has a smart alert system.
Daatrics founder and CEO Andrey Khayrullaev says that he was inspired to start Daatrics when he became a father 2 1/2 years ago. "As a new parent, I searched extensively for an infant monitor that could offer accurate, medical-grade information and added peace of mind. Along the way, I encountered a lot of false readings from antiquated monitors, so I knew there had to be a better way," he said. "Neebo's comprehensive monitoring system provides the most accurate data on the market and reassurance that many parents value greatly. We're pleased to be able to provide this advanced technology to help new parents better manage their babies' health and well-being."
Neebo is now available for U.S. preorder and is priced at $199 with expected shipping date of Q2 2017. While many people will be nervous about the "preorder" and "expected shipping date" aspects of this news, Neebo looks like a logical wearable offering for those parents who are so inclined. It's not for me (especially given the fact that my boys are now teenagers!), but for some people Neebo will offer another level of comfort.