MOODMETRIC IS A SMART RING THAT MEASURES EMOTIONS

Posted By Simon Montford on Jan 20, 2015

Moodmetric claims to be the smallest wearable technology in the world for measuring emotions. "The Moodmetric ring measures the autonomous nervous system signals that can be used to understand emotional reactions and improve quality of life". We all lead busy lives and often miss the signs of stress which can, if ignored, lead to chronic illness or even premature death. Products such as Moodmetric and Olive could, therefore, potentially have a hugely beneficial impact on society.

Wearing a mood tracking device is not a silver bullet, of course. The wearer must act on the data by avoiding too many stressful situations and replacing unhealthy behaviours with activities that are known to promote calmness, such as yoga and meditation. Where a wearable device such as Moodmetric or Muse, which detects your brain signals during guided focused attention exercises, could help is training people to develop the skill of mood control, which requires a high level of effort. How you respond to stressful situations has a huge impact on things like blood pressure and cortisol levels in the body. Learning how to keep your cool can have a hugely beneficial effect on health in the long term and prevent bad things from happening in the short term, like entering into physical or verbal confrontation during a "road rage" incident, for example. 

The Moodmetric ring uses Bluetooth LE to send data to a smartphone. The data is then used to create the user's "emotional intelligence" profile via the accompanying app. It does this by using sensors that measure the body’s nervous system via the skin's conductance. 

In terms of form-factor, the ring has been designed by Vesa Nilsson & Tiina Arkko of OZ jewel. It is elegant but quite bulky and is clearly aimed at female customers. It looks a little similar to a range of smart rings by Kovert, which is not necessarily a bad thing depending on your aesthetic tastes. My point is that when making a visual design statement you risk alienating a percentage of potential customers, who may like the functionality, but not the form. A better approach could be to offer a more neutral design with the same functionality, or even make it invisible. An example of a more discreet wearable that can be worn out of sight beneath clothing, is the AmpStrip. 

The Moodmetric will be available in Black polycarbonate and steel for $179 (£118), however a hand-crafted 14k gold version, that features a black agate stone and gold plate, will be available for $3,950 (£2600). The estimated shipping date has not yet been announced.

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