Amazon is developing a new Alexa-powered device that can detect and monitor signs of sleep apnea using radar, according to a new report from Business Insider. Reportedly, the palm-sized device is designed to sit on a bedside table and use a millimeter-wave radar to sense your breathing, and keep an eye out for interruptions related to the sleep apnea disorder.
The idea of using radar to monitor sleep is not new, and at least one other high-profile company has attempted to commercialize the technology. In 2014, Nintendo announced a “non-portable” device that could detect sleep via radio waves. Less than two years later, however, Nintendo said it was not confident that the device could become a viable product, and that it was never released. Last month, we also saw OnePlus announce a new concept phone that uses mmWave radar to monitor breathing.
Amazon’s project is apparently being developed under the code name “Brahms” after the German composer of Lullaby, and is the work of an in-house Amazon team built up over the past year. In its current form, the device apparently looks like a ‘standing hexagonal cushion attached to a metal wire base’. Business Insider notes. Along with sleep apnea, Amazon apparently plans to use its machine learning and cloud technology to understand other sleep disorders outside of sleep apnea.
Amazon declined to comment on the project’s existence Business Insider, and a spokesperson was not immediately available to respond The edge‘s request for comment.
If accurate, Brahms represents Amazon’s latest focus on health technology. Last year, the company released its Halo Fitness Tracker, a $ 99.99 portable device that scans the wearer’s body and voice and is designed to help you improve your health. Amazon emphasizes that Halo ‘is not a medical device’. The company also launched a pharmacy service for the delivery of prescription drugs.
At this point, it’s almost easier to list objects on which Amazon did not try to build its voice assistant. Over the past few years, Alexa has appeared in everything from speakers (of course) to glasses, rings and even microwaves. Soon we may be able to add a drag tracker to the list.