The greatest health crisis of our times – Coronavirus outbreak, has not only sunk the world into record economic slowdown, but it has also taught a valuable lesson – which is to make health a priority. In the fast-track life, most of us forget to pay attention to simple things like drinking enough water, washing hands, taking medicines on time, etc. But now it is all those simple details of life that are necessities.
Some health-tech Korean startups have innovated great products to help people take care of their health and wellness using technology. Let’s check out some of the interesting innovations.
1. Welt: A smart belt
This health-tracker device cum fashion accessory helps you keep your waist size in check – a wearable smart belt. Introduced by health-tech startup Welt Corp. Ltd, the smart belt is designed to keep your fitness score. Welt tracks three main general health indicators: waist size, activity, and food intake. Welt’s pedometer tracks steps taken while the belt also tracks sitting time and calories burnt. When the wearer puts on the belt, inbuilt magnetic sensors detect the exact waist size and can track any changes over time. All changes are logged using a smartphone app affiliated with Welt. The smart belt has incredible battery life that lasts 60 days fully charged though it takes only 2 hours to charge completely. Welt has been available in Korea and Japan since 2017 and is now available in the USA. The price range of the belt is from $69 to $260, depending upon the product quality, and classic, casual, premium or limited edition.
2. InHandplus – A smartwatch
InHandplus has developed a medication-management Smartwatch that reminds you to take those necessary vitamin pills or the diabetes medication on time. The AI-based smartwatch helps improve medication adherence by increasing the user’s engagement. It has an Automatic medication behavior analysis solution, data-driven, and personalized medication management solution, and a user-friendly UI for digital healthcare platforms. The real-time monitoring makes it easy to keep a tab on the health of the patient and take action immediately in case one has skipped a dose.
The watch also shows an ‘Adverse Event’ such as headache and also the numeric ‘pain score.’ Its medical alarm immediately alerts the concerned medical facility or relative, thereby acting as a personal medical attendant. The watch has the facility of Privacy protection so the user can keep their medical history private.
3. QStag: A smart strip
QStag offers a next-generation diagnostic sensor smart strip that offers reliable, accurate, and easy data for disease detection. One can test for lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, gout, kidney diseases, urinary tract diseases, colitis, hyperthyroidism, etc. and get accurate results in a short time. QSTAG strips use a QR code-based application with automatically readable field diagnostic kits. The strips cost under $5, making them affordable for one and all. The company plans to reach out to customers through reseller sales (B2B) as well as online sales (B2C).
4. Wave Wear – A smart outfit for muscle tiredness
Wave Wear has combined the kinesiology taping with compression technology for its smart wearables. Wave Wear’s adhesive bio-silicone closely aligns and adheres to the human skin to provide similar effects to conventional kinesiology taping. The compression offered by Wave Wear has been optimized to maximize blood flow while minimizing muscle vibration to help reduce fatigue.
Based on clinical tests, Wave Wear reduces muscle fatigue as much as 35% compared to normal compression wear and bears water much better than conventional kinesiology taping. The startup’s smart wears are a great product for those doing lots of workouts and athletes. It helps in various physical therapy such as pain-reduction, posture correcting, performance-enhancing, injury prevention, and more.
