While we’ve seen numerous treatments for sleep apnea, such as anti-snoring pillows and even smartphone apps, Jukusui-Kun is arguably the first and only anti-snoring robot.
As well as being quite irritating for family members, snoring might be a sign of sleep apnea — pauses in breathing which can be potentially dangerous. The condition is associated with blood oxygen saturation and can trigger up to a ten second break in breathing. It can cause and worsen other medical conditions, including hypertension, heart failure, and diabetes.
The toy-like robot is actually geared to scientifically deal with the snoring subject. It works with a pulse-oxygen metre attached to the sleeper’s hand, which tracks the amount of oxygen in the blood. It’s wirelessly connected to a terminal that analyzes the data and remotely controls the bear. There’s also a microphone hidden inside the pillow which measures the level of noise caused by snoring.
When the oxygen level drops and noise increases at the same time, Jukusui-Kun slowly and gently raises its paw to brush the face of the patient, thus causing a change of position without waking. This change in sleeping position from the back to the side encourages a snoreless night.
Jukusui-Kun, which means “deep sleep” in Japanese, was developed by researchers from Tokyo’s Waseda University. There are no plans to introduce a commercial version at this stage.
Source: gizmag.com
Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2011.
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