CES23: Self-Care Tech Advances Include At-Home Cavity Detection
Preparing for the unexpected is now expected.
We’re all being asked to look after ourselves in ways the previous generation would have found extraordinary. I don’t know if that means we’re all turning into hypochondriacs or if it’s post pandemic trauma or if we’re just reacting to high insurance deductibles that don’t seem to kick in until we’re in mortal peril. But at CES 2023 earlier this month, there was no doubt that technology that allows you to mind yourself is becoming more impressive.
You’ll soon know if you have a cavity before visiting the dentist. At-home cavity detection is the goal of a device called Smartooth, winner of a CES 2023 Innovations Award. Now in a Kickstarter development stage, Smartooth uses sonic waves to provide tooth decay data reportedly as accurate as an x-ray. An app helps you monitor tooth decay and will even make a dentist appointment if necessary. Smartooth.co
This smartwatch lets you know when you’re at your best. While it won’t be available until November (put it on your holiday gift list), one of the most intriguing devices at CES 2023 was a smart watch that seems to be smarter than most thanks to its use of tech initially developed by NASA and IBM’s Watson computer brain. The Citizen CZ Smart YouQ watch features a built-in self-care advisor that you access via an app. The watch measures the wearer’s chronotype, an individual’s preferred waking and sleeping cycle, to come up with what Citizen calls an alert score. This measurement derives from a NASA’s Psychomotor Vigilance Task Test developed to test the mental acuity of astronauts and additional research done by NASA Ames Research Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory. This data is analyzed by neural networks devised by Watson. The idea is to offer customized insights into periods of fatigue and alertness with advice on how to better structure your day from a wellness standpoint. www.citizenwatch.com
On another wellness note, you may have heard that hearing aids are now available over-the-counter. One of the coolest I’ve seen so far is from Sennheiser, the well-respected German audio brand. What I like about the Conversation Clear Plus is the design—it doesn’t scream hearing aid! The Sennheiser earbuds can focus on speech in noisy situations or can widen its sonic purview to include a broader interaction with surroundings. Basically, it’s using advanced noise reduction circuitry that can be manipulated by the user via an app to suit the situation. The earbuds are Bluetooth-enabled so you can accept phone calls or just listen to music. Battery life is rated at nine hours and there is a recharging case for added usage. They are available starting today for a list price of $850. www.sennheiser-hearing.com