Las Vegas:
Virtual reality (VR) headsets are set to become the biggest trend in wearables this year, with everyone from Facebook, Sony, Samsung, HTC, Microsoft and Google getting into the bandwagon.
But the Dubai-based Merlin Digital has leapfrogged one step ahead with the launch of world’s first VR-based Heart Rate Variability (HRV) trainer.
HRV refers to the beat-to-beat alterations in heart rate or pulse.
The IntelliSense Coherence Kit is a VR-based rhythmic breathing trainer that measures the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and helps users reach a heart-brain coherence state through heart-coherent breathing techniques.
The ANS is part of the peripheral nervous system and acts as a control system, influencing the function of internal organs and helping maintain balance in the body.
Sharad and Rohit Bachani, Merlin’s two founders, taking part in the show for the first time, said that they are getting a welcoming response from the visitors for the patented technology, apart from its string of other gizmos.
Sharad said that HRV is used in medical schools and top medical institutions for many years but not in a VR platform. Many of the bands available in the market monitor the heart rate using the pulse variants but not HRV.
“Applying the right HRV calculations at the right times gives an insight into a user’s ANS. It’s like accessing a body’s command centre. IntelliSense correctly measures ANS and teaches to gain control over heart rate variability, thereby helping to maximise performance, boost recovery and optimise stress levels,” he said.
The device detects a user’s pulse electronically and sends the data to the IntelliSense HRV app, where a user can watch live how his breathing rate and thought pattern affect his HRV.
Based on this, he said that some very simple breathing techniques are then given to help a user balance his/her nervous system function, while being measured in real time. The visual feedback through the headset allows a user to relax and helps them enforce positive thoughts as they watch the stress melt away.
The concept is simple, Rohit said, and added that the IntelliSense app monitors body’s ANS and measures HRV, which is a quick, easy, and totally non-invasive measure of readiness and fatigue. Some of these activities also have a conscious element of control, such as breathing. Breathing is the only bodily function that is both involuntary and voluntary.
He said that studies have proved that a low HRV is prone to depression, stress, diabetics and ageing. Using the headset regularly can enhance immune system functioning, improve cognitive abilities and mental clarity and improve overall hormonal functioning to decrease the ageing process and improve the HRV factor.
“We think VR can make a big difference in wellness,” Bachani said.
The app can be downloaded from the Apple or Google stores, and the device can hold any smartphones with screen sizes of 4.7-inch to 6 inches. It will be available in February and priced at $165.
