WHAT
A kid-friendly smartwatch that teaches children to follow a routine. Aimed at kids 3 – 8 years old, it is also helpful for kids with ADHD or autism.
WHY
- alleviates nagging for parents
- fosters independence and self-esteem (for the kids as well)
- one size fits all
- no physical side effects
- can store emergency contact data, allergies, etc
- comes with characters from Disney, Marvel and Nickelodeon
- washable, hypo-allergenic band in red or blue
- charging station doubles as a nightlight
- named CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree
- it’s adorable
HOW
The watch sends alerts to kids when it’s time to brush their teeth, leave for school, do that homework, take a bath, and more, using an Android or iOS app managed by parents. The watch connects to a parent’s phone via Bluetooth so they can program tasks and get notified when kids stay on schedule. In theory, this means parents won’t have to nag their kids so much, because it teaches them to manage their own time.
Colorful icons help kids tell time and keep them on schedule with visual and (optional) vibrational reminders. Once a task is completed, the kid can check it off. Parents receive a notification on their smartphone.
It is NOT:
- a step tracker
- a touch screen
- waterproof (it’s water resistant)
- a GPS tracker nor a phone
- and It doesn’t emit sounds
WHO
Joy, inc. Raised $2M via Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. Now backed by Hax, the world’s largest hardware accelerator.
WHERE
San Francisco, USA and Annecy, France. Initial feasibility study was successfully conducted by McGill University, Montreal.
WHEN
Available now: https://www.heyjoy.io/ Also at Target, Amazon and MoMa in NYC. The watch is priced at $59.00, plus $49 for the charging-station-night-light.
Wearables That Work 