Temple pre-orders open soon, why it is the most unusual wearable yet

Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS

Deepinder Goyal’s Temple wearable is getting closer to its India launch, with pre-orders expected to open as early as next week. It is a small wearable designed to track changes in blood flow linked to the brain. According to the company, the device is ready for launch, with only a couple of things left to finalise before it goes on sale. People who joined the early-access waitlist will get priority when pre-orders begin.

So, what’s this new wearable and what’s the surrounding hype? Well, Temple is anything but a usual wearable. Unlike a smartwatch that sits on your wrist or a smart ring that goes on your finger, Temple is a small, pill-shaped device that sits on the side of your head, between the forehead and ear. Its unusual design certainly makes it stand out from the health trackers most people are used to.

How to wear Temple

As the name suggests, Temple sits on the side of your head, directly against the skin around the temple. According to the company, this location allows the wearable to capture signals related to blood flow around the brain using a system called BrainFlow.

Goyal has also revealed that the launch edition will come in six colours: True Gold, Rose Gold, Black Mirror, Real Jade, Deep Blue and Purple Funk.

But unlike a smartwatch or smart ring, you don’t strap Temple on or slide it onto your finger. Instead, the small device sticks to your skin using disposable Grips, which are essentially adhesive tapes.

According to Goyal, the Temple is designed to remain attached during everyday activities, including running, jumping, showering and swimming. However, the company does not recommend wearing it while scuba diving.

The company claims that its disposable Grips of Temple can last for up to seven days, which is roughly the same as the wearable’s battery life, although Temple recommends replacing them every two to three days, particularly after exposure to sweat or dust.

The device itself is said to be slim enough to fit underneath glasses, while its smooth edges are designed to avoid getting caught on clothing.

What will Temple actually measure?

According to Goyal, the wearable uses a PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor, the same basic optical sensing technology used in smartwatches such as the Apple Watch. However, instead of sitting on the wrist, the sensor is placed at the temple, where Temple says it can capture changes linked to blood flow around the brain.

The company calls this system BrainFlow, which is designed to continuously track changes in cerebral blood flow. The data, according to Goyal, could provide insights into areas such as sleep, recovery, exercise and the body’s response to stress. However, the company cautions that that does not mean the wearable can directly read brain activity or diagnose health conditions.

Temple is using optical sensing to track blood-flow-related signals, rather than the electrical signals measured by an EEG.

Goyal has shared two studies to support the technology. The first involved 23 healthy adults and compared Temple’s BrainFlow readings with Transcranial Doppler measurements during cycling and changes in posture. The second analysed 60 sessions involving 44 healthy men and compared BrainFlow with time-domain near-infrared spectroscopy (TD-NIRS), a technique that can distinguish blood-volume changes in brain tissue from those in the scalp.

According to the results shared by Goyal, Temple’s readings showed a stronger correlation with changes in brain blood volume than with changes in scalp blood volume. However, both studies are currently available as preprints and still require further research and peer review.

Official launch and India price

The final India price is still not confirmed. Goyal has earlier indicated that the Temple could cost around $1,000, or roughly Rs 1 lakh, while some earlier reports had suggested a price closer to Rs 80,000. The price is expected to include an unlimited supply of the disposable Grips, so users will not have to buy replacements separately.

As for availability, pre-orders are expected to open as early as next week, with people on the early-access waitlist getting priority. The launch edition will come in six colours, although the exact date when the device will start shipping to customers has not yet been confirmed.

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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA