“There is a need for a wearable device that is acceptable to users, that provides continuous physiological data, and helps identify data signals in the environment as belonging to the individual, rather than other occupants. SmartSocks have the potential to be an elegant solution to this need.”

— Matthew Harrison, Senior Designer, Helix Centre

Unique to Milbotix, SmartSocks®DISCOVERY has been designed to capture physiological data and transmit it to the cloud for analysis by researchers and companies developing new therapies for an aging population.

SmartSocks®DISCOVERY gathers data on heart rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature, motion and electrodermal activity (EDA).

Why Socks?

The foot is a particularly useful location for collecting biomechanical and physiological data pertaining to a person’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. This includes indicators of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity (heart rate, heart rate variability, electrodermal activity, skin temperature) and physical activity (linear acceleration, angular velocity). SmartSocks®Discovery is a useful physiological data collection tool for researchers in the fields of:

i. Neurocognitive and neurodegenerative disease (Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias, Parkinson’s disease, Huntingdon’s disease, etc.)
ii. Psychology
iii. Sleep physiology
iv. Movement science, sports science, and rehabilitation science
v. Mental health
vi. Gerontology
vii. Occupational health research
viii. And many more

EDA measurements are acquired from the medial arch. This location has a high density of sweat glands, comparable with conventional measurement locations on the fingers and palms of the hands (van Dooren et al., 2012), and provides an equivalent response. In addition, socks are comfortable, familiar, non-intrusive and less likely to be removed than other wearables.

From a range of different users – Research & Care home managers