Amazon is developing a new device with Alexa that can track and monitor sleep apnea signals using radar, according to a new report from Business Insider. The palm-sized device is supposedly designed to sit on a nightstand and use millimeter wave radar to detect your breathing, keeping an eye out for interruptions associated with apnea sleep disturbance.
The idea of using a radar to monitor sleep is not new, and at least one other high-profile company has tried to commercialize the technology. In 2014, Nintendo announced an “unusable” device that could track sleep using radio waves. However, less than two years later, Nintendo said it was not sure that the device could become a viable product and that it was never released. Last month, we also saw OnePlus announce a new concept phone that used the mmWave radar to monitor breathing.
The Amazon project is apparently being developed under the code name “Brahms”, in honor of the German composer of Lullaby, and it’s the work of an internal Amazon team built over the past year. In its current form, the device supposedly resembles a “hexagonal pad connected to a metal wire base”, Business Insider grades. Along with sleep apnea, Amazon plans to use its machine learning and cloud technology to understand sleep disorders other than sleep apnea.
Amazon declined to comment on the existence of the project to Business Insider, and a spokesman was not immediately available to respond to The Vergerequest for comment from.
If necessary, Brahms represents Amazon’s latest advancement in healthcare technology. Last year, the company launched its Halo fitness tracker, a $ 99.99 wearable device that examines the user’s body and voice and is designed to help you improve your health. Amazon emphasizes that Halo “is not a medical device”. The company also launched a Pharmacy service to deliver prescription drugs.
At this point, it is almost easier to list objects on which Amazon has not attempted to build its voice assistant. In recent years, Alexa has appeared in everything from speakers (obviously) to glasses, rings and even microwaves. Soon, we will be able to add a sleep tracker to that list.