A new wearable device that’s just hit Kickstarter promises to help you keep track of harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, courtesy of some smart artificial intelligence technology. Called the QSun, the gadget not only aims to protect you from sun-induced skin damage, but also make sure that you’re still getting a healthy amount of vitamin D, which comes from sun exposure.
To do this, the clip-on QSun wearable uses advanced sensors to measure UV rays in real time and track your sun exposure. It then calculates how long you can stay outside before getting a sunburn and sends an alert to your smartphone when it determines you need to seek protection from the giant burning ball in the sky. While it’s doing this, it also calculates how much vitamin D you’ve produced from your sun exposure. Both of these metrics can be checked from the QSun app, thereby allowing you to keep tabs on your long-term sun exposure and vitamin D history.
The app also claims it can work out how much sunscreen you need to wear, and uses advanced image processing technology to analyze your facial skin health.
“There are other products on the market for sun safety like sunscreen patches and wristbands, or other smart wearables that incorporate UV sensors,” creator Neda Ghazi told Digital Trends. “What makes QSun stand out is that we really take a comprehensive and personalized approach to sun safety based on the specific user.”
Ghazi says the goal of the technology is to provide practical advice, rather than simply giving raw measurements like some other wearable devices that incorporate UV sensors.
“Our audience is made up of people who spend a lot of time outside, like athletes or outdoor workers, and parents who want to keep track of how long their kids are spending in the sun,” Ghazi said. “Another group we appeal to are people with sensitive skin or sun allergies. They tend to pay special attention to the sun and may need more personalized tips to avoid any skin damage or allergic reactions. We’re also appealing to people who are worried about being vitamin D deficient and need a better way of monitoring their vitamin D intake.”
While we offer all our usual warnings about the risks of crowdfunding campaigns, if you do want to get involved, you can pledge money to the QSun campaign on Kickstarter. Prices start at 64 Canadian dollars ($50 U.S.), with shipping set to take place in June.
