Abrace, a smart bracelet designed for children with autism, launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, aiming for an early 2023 release.
The Abrace collects a wide range of physical data and accurately determines a child’s emotional state, giving their parents or professionals crucial time to prepare for - or even prevent - sensory meltdowns.
Just like a watch, it attaches to a child’s wrist, automatically monitoring sensory input levels, without making the child uncomfortable or interfering with their day-to-day life.
When the bracelet detects that input levels have exceeded a threshold, Abrace sends a real-time notification via a smartphone application so that caretakers can respond quickly, potentially preventing a full sensory meltdown. The mood analytics have an accuracy of over 90% after just ten days of wear.
“With the Abrace, we can make a significant impact on the lives of autistic children and their families. When an autistic person experiences a sensory meltdown, they may feel extreme confusion, panic, and frustration," Abrace researchers said.
"This is often made more difficult by not being able to easily communicate these feelings to those around them. The Abrace overcomes that, providing a new way for caregivers to communicate with and better understand children with ASD."
"This is often made more difficult by not being able to easily communicate these feelings to those around them. The Abrace overcomes that, providing a new way for caregivers to communicate with and better understand children with ASD."
Abrace researchers
Abrace harnesses an industry-leading AI-based cloud solution so that data can be shared with doctors, teachers and other professionals within an autistic child’s support network.
The data collected by the braclets, in the long run, could help specialists, doctors, and researchers around the world to better understand and treat autism spectrum disorder( ASD).
In the United States, ASD affects one in 44 children. To date, caregivers of children with ASD have been forced to rely on intuition and experience to predict mood swings and distress.
Abrace solves this challenge, combining child-friendly, ergonomic design with innovative technology and modern machine learning to be the world’s first clinically approved smart sensor for ASD.