Imagine wearing glasses that can monitor your emotions, your eating habits and figure out if you’re depressed. This is turning into reality with Emteq Labs’ new smart glasses.
Emteq Labs’ latest innovation is about to change how we look at eyewear. Its smart glasses can help people struggling with mental health issues and obesity.
But, how?
Let’s find out!
Emteq Labs’ smart glasses: OCOsense
The first-gen smart glass models started with voice commands, cameras, navigation, augmented reality (AR) displays, and fitness tracking. These glasses primarily helped grab data about your surroundings.
However, smart eyewear has evolved much more. Today, you can use them to gather insights about your own health.
Emteq Labs, a deep technology startup, recently announced the development of the world’s first emotion-sensing smart glass, “OCOsense.”
OCOsense can precisely monitor emotions in real time. It notices facial expressions, including movements of eyebrows, eyes, cheeks, and jawline. The eyewear can also track eating habits.
OCOsense: Technology and features
Emteq integrated their patented OCOTM Optomyography sensors in OCOsense glasses. This helps the glasses read facial skin movements using three-dimensional mapping technology with 93%+ accuracy.
Some significant features of the OCOsense Eyewear are:
- Nine-axis inertial measurement unit and altimeter: Captures and understands your behaviour
- Downward-facing camera: Records your food consumption
- AI and ML algorithms: Analyses the gathered data
- Companion app and Cloud Platform: Data is transferred, stored and processed to give insights
About Emteq Labs
Founded in 2015, Emteq Labs is a deep technology startup headquartered in Brighton, UK. Recently, it announced the development of the world’s first emotion-sensing smart glass, “OCOsense.”
The startup has 27 patents, has published 28 peer-reviewed papers, and has earned several awards for its technology. It is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHRi4i), Horizon 2020, and Innovate UK.
Emteq also recently appointed the former Snap Inc. hardware division head, Steen Strand, as its CEO. The company expects his experience in AR and consumer products to ensure an edge in the smart eyewear market.
OCOsense Eyewear and its Applications
OCOsense uses lightweight vector-based designs. Unlike AR glasses, it doesn’t implement large batteries. The design is energy-efficient and inspired by fly vision.
The current model weighs 62 grams (a little more than Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses—50 grams).
Due to weight constraints, Emteq avoided high-power cameras and instead chose optical sensors that efficiently capture vectors when there’s facial muscular movement. It can capture 6000 data points every second.
Emteq’s Founder, Chief Science Officer and a facial musculature surgeon, Dr. Charles Nduka, led the company and this project for up to 10 years. The project is inspired by his work with facial paralysis patients to help them regain control over facial expressions.
OCOsense Eyewear Applications
#1 Mental health monitoring
The wearable identifies whether you are depressed or not. Using this data, it offers mental health support insights.
In a demonstration, CEO Strand showed how the device’s contactless sensors can read even the slightest facial movement, including eyebrow raises, frowns, and smiles.
#2 Dietary management
OCOsense can also monitor your food consumption and chewing behaviours. Using it, the device offers insights to prevent you from overeating. The glasses will alert you if you chew too fast based on jaw movement.
Its downward-facing camera offers meal tracking by taking food pictures. It analyses the data, sends it to the OCOsense app, and deletes the photo.
Emteq also partnered with a weight-loss and diet organisation to ensure only credible insights for health monitoring.
According to the WHO, in 2022, 2.5 billion adults (18 and above) were overweight. 890 million of them were struggling with obesity. Emteq will offer better insights into daily life and help combat such issues.
#3 Additional applications
Besides tracking facial expressions, moods, and eating habits, it also captures metrics like posture, physical activity, and attention levels.
Strand believes that the glass can potentially help in the management of autism, Parkinson’s, and other neurological conditions.
Availability
OCOsense glasses aren’t yet out in the market for consumers. Emteq Labs plans to launch a development kit in December, but only for its commercial partners.
Challenges and Concerns
Director of the Emotional AI Lab from Bangor University, Andrew McStay, stated that emotions vary among individuals and cultures. So, it can be complicated to rely on this tech’s reliability.
However, Emteq has complete faith in the wearable. The startup has started collaborating with healthcare professionals, including doctors, therapists, and dietary experts, to ensure accurate results and personalised health support.
Some experts also highlighted potential data misuse by governments for oppression and surveillance. However, Emteq Labs assures users will have complete control over their data.
While Emteq is eager for its launch, it’s facing high competition from Meta and Apple in smart glasses with distinct features.
Final Takeaway
Emteq Labs is on a mission to enhance the population’s lives and improve health outcomes. The startup is deeply committed to helping people understand their emotions and behaviours, alongside tracking diet-related concerns.
There are challenges to navigate, including concerns around data privacy and cultural sensitivity. However, Emteq Labs is committed to responsible development and collaboration with healthcare professionals.
It will be interesting to see how OCOsense Eyewear pans out and whether it can truly reshape how we approach mental health and wellness.
