Most of us enjoy our gadgets – largely as measures of convenience and entertainment – but rarely do we see them contribute to our wellness. Yet quite a few inventors have contributed products to the market designed to improve our health.
Scientists are even researching ways to help us keep better track of our diets utilising the latest in tech. Naturally, there are some privacy concerns when it comes to monitoring health data, but the overarching goal is to make wellness easier to achieve.
But don’t worry – the gadgets we’re talking about today are simple enough to just do what they’re supposed to do.
1. Essential Oil Diffusers
One major category growing in popularity is the essential oil diffuser. These handy little tabletop displays are not just for decoration; they provide a sort of aromatherapy by diffusing essential oils into the air.
While the science behind aromatherapy is nothing new, using technology to make its application easier certainly is. Plus, diffusers can also be utilised as dehumidifiers; in areas with extremely high humidity, they provide comfort both by releasing pleasant aromas and by eliminating that “muggy” feeling that sets in with extreme moisture levels in the air.
2. Salt Lamps
Despite some debate over the benefits of negative ions, salt lamps remain an interesting gadget that also fall solidly into the category of promoting wellness.
Acting as natural air purifiers, salt lamps attract moisture in the air and draw in impurities. The head element (typically a small lightbulb) evaporates the moisture and leaves the impurities of the air stuck to the lamp. You can then periodically clean the salt lamp and have it act as a makeshift air filter.
Most salt lamps are also pleasing to look at, sometimes cut into intricate shapes or designs. They make great gifts for children as they illuminate dark rooms just enough to provide a bit of comfort without the blue light typical of most electronics. Additionally, the bulbs they use typically cost in the range of a few dollars but last a relatively long time.
3. Food Scanners
This specific category of gadget has a few different incarnations. The goals are similar: to identify whether your food is free from contamination or rot.
For instance, the FOODsniffer is a nifty little gadget that lets you know when meat is starting to go bad. It takes the old adage “the nose knows” and brings it to the next level by scanning for spoilage.
On the visual end, Tellspec offers a handy spectrometer that scans food, uploads its data to the net, and then figures out what’s in it – whether it’s been contaminated by any known substances and if you’re OK to eat it. Unfortunately, it comes with a rather high price tag, but could prove highly valuable to those who have food allergies or who run businesses.
4. Gyenno Cup
While it might seem a little extreme to introduce a smart cup, it’s a surprisingly novel idea that could mean major health benefits to us all.
Gyenno is a cool device in that it monitors how often you drink water and tries to remind you to consume more if you need to. It’s also incredibly hygienic; it knows when it’s dirty and tells you to go wash it. The lid is held on by a magnetic seal, so it you don’t need to worry about it falling off. Plus, it notifies you if the water temperature has gone out of the range you’d enjoy (it also lets you know if the water would burn you). As a decorative item, it looks great on office desks. It displays the current time, weather alerts and the date. Plus, it helps promote one of the things we seem to neglect more than anything: drinking enough water.
5. Smartwatches
Smartwatches continue to advance as the wearable market produces more and more different designs. Though Pebble was the first and best (RIP Pebble, we will miss you!), many other devices have since been introduced with a variety of features to help track your movements and fitness goals. Many modern smartwatches even collect and store your data online via their Bluetooth connection to your phone.
This is a great way to check out sleep information and daily activities, but it also adds some risk to the privacy of your health information unless your phone has a VPN installed to keep hackers and snoops out.
There’s even a variation on the standard smartwatch called the ReliefBand. It stimulates the nervous system to combat motion sickness. The idea is based on sound science, given that the interaction between the nerves that control your eyes and stomach are connected and cause motion sickness. It basically just interrupts the interaction of two cranial nerves.
Tech-Assisted Health
No doubt technology will continue to aid us in achieving greater levels of wellness. Other incredible gadgets are still in development, including devices that can measure your blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and more just by scanning your forehead. There’s even talk of using breathalyser-like devices to scan your breath to determine current metabolic rates and perhaps someday blood sugar levels. The possibilities are almost endless. It seems safe to say we can look forward to an exciting future of health and tech!
About the Author:
Caroline is a health enthusiast and technology expert. Her interest in the field of health has led her to discover a number of fascinating new gadgets that champion human health and wellness in hopes of improving the quality of our lives.
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