HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
•
DECEMBER2015
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ILLUSTRATIONBYJAMESONSIMPSON
71
INNOVATION
BUSINESS
GADGETRY
BRIGHT IDEAS
‘‘
M
irror,mirror, on the wall,
who’s the illest one of all?”
That might sound a bit
like an old-school rap lyric, but the
question is, in fact, one that Europe’s
topmedical researchers are currently
tackling.An international teamcalled
Semeoticons, culled from 11 Euro-
pean research institutes across seven
countries, is working on a potentially
groundbreaking new smart device
called theWizeMirror,which could
onedaybeused tomonitoryourhealth
anddiagnose cardiovasculardisorders
in thecomfortof yourownbathroom.
Thepremise? Just look into yourmir-
ror for oneminute eachmorning and
receive a near-instantaneous health
reading.The touchscreen gadget will
use multispectral cameras, gas sen-
sors,and3-D scanners to collect data
in such areas as weight gain or loss,
blood oxygen levels, and stress, and
then highlight potential risk factors.
Currently in the design phase, the
mirror will hopefully enter test trials
as early as next year.Here, a step-by-
step guide to how channeling your
innerNarcissus could one day reflect
very well on your long-term health.
—
NICHOLASDERENZO
First, five multispectral cameras—
picking up both ultraviolet and visible
lightwaves—inspect the skinand look for
minutechanges incomplexion. Thevisible
light isused toanalyzebloodvessels in the
face to gather information on heart rate
and hemoglobin levels. Ultraviolet light
is used tomeasure cholesterol deposits
in the skin, a sign of high glucose levels
that can in turn be an indicator of future
Type2diabetes.
Next, thebuilt-in3-D scanneranalyzes
facial shape and checks if the user has
lost or gainedweight. Facial recognition
software then picks up subtle shifts in
yourappearance, includingonesthatmight
indicate signs of anxiety or stress—say,
bags under the eyes, clenched jaws, or
knit brows.
Finally, when the user exhales, the
mirror’sso-calledWizeSnifferanalyzesthe
breath forvariousgases. The sensor looks
for high concentrations of sugars, which
can indicate an increased riskof diabetes,
andalsochecks fornoxiouschemicals that
indicatehowmuchyou’vebeen indulging
inbadhabits like smokinganddrinking.
Taking into account all the collected
data, the mirror then comes up with a
numerical score to represent youroverall
health for the day and indicateswhether
you’verecordedanet lossorgainsince the
previous check-up.
ASmart
Mirror
ThatCould
Diagnose
Illness
how it’s done
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