Energy saving technology available in a wearable bracelet

Wristify helps to cool or warm the temperature of the wearer.

Embr Labs was recently announced as one of Intel’s “Make it Wearable” challenge finalists, for its product called Wristify, a heating and cooling wearable device worn on the wrist that utilizes energy saving technology to help measure and control a person’s body temperature.

The concept behind the wearable technology is pretty basic.

Essentially, the device features technology that gives off cool or warm impulses to slightly lower or raise a person’s body temperature. The creators of the bracelet claim that these slight but fast temperature changes on the wrist, which is an area of the body with high blood flow, can make a person feel cooler or warmer by several degrees. The present prototype can warm or cool the body at a rate of nearly 0.4 degrees Celsius every second.

Wristify is not exactly a new product. A prototype of the device was initially released back in 2013 when it was first developed by a team of MIT Engineering students, who won a $10,000 prize for it from MIT’s MADMEC competition. Since winning this competition, the team has improved the prototype and transformed it into a sleek and stylish design, turning it into a bracelet that a person would actually want to put on their wrist. The bracelet is wide, slightly futuristic looking, and silver.

Wearbles having aesthetic appeal is important to their success. This has been one of the major problems smartwatch creators have faced.

The environmental benefits of using this potentially energy saving technology could be quite significant.

Although Wristify is not a complete heating and cooling solution at the moment, as the majority of wearers would still require an air conditioner or furnace to cool and heat their homes, it could help encourage people to save energy by setting their thermostats differently. Therefore, if enough people actually used the wearble, the creators of Wristify claim that this could result in notable environmental benefits.

The winner of Intels challenge will be announced later on this month. It will be interesting to see who wins and whether or not the winner will produce an energy saving technology device that is both practical and effective.