14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is continuously looking into new ways to improve the Band and it appears than an app created during the “Hack for Her Hackathon” event in January could bring features that nobody thought would be possible on such a device.
The so-called Band Aid app allows the Microsoft Band to alert emergency services should it detect signs of domestic violence, with future updates to bring options that would allow for a quick connection to organizations that could help victims deal with such cases.
As Rod Trent of WinSuperSite noted, the Band monitors skin temperature and heart rate to detect a spike in the stress level, thus trying to determine whether domestic violence is possible. In case a pre-defined level of stress is reached, a pop-up notification showing on the Band’s display allows the wearer to call 911 with the help of the connected smartphone.
Future updates
“Band Aid is an application that syncs with a Microsoft Band and was created to help those in need discreetly report domestic violence. By wearing a Microsoft Band the user will allow our application to track their gravitational juxtaposition and heart rate to detect stress. When stress is identified a pop up will appear on the band screen to offer help at the tap of the wrist,” the official description of the app reads.
The skin temperature readings and a complex algorithm can help the app detect high stress levels because, as the developer notes, elevated and sporadic hear rate is linked to increased stress levels.
Furthermore, the app offers custom actions because some women don’t necessarily want to alert emergency services, so instead they can contact friends.
In future updates, Band Aid will adopt machine learning to improve stress detection, and offer integration with social listening and local centers to make sure that all women who are victims of domestic violence can quickly get in touch with someone who can lend them a hand.
