LifeBEAM, founded in 2011, is an artificial-intelligence

wearables A wearable computer, also known as a body-borne computer, is a computing device worn on the body. The definition of 'wearable computer' may be narrow or broad, extending to smartphones or even ordinary wristwatches. Wearables may be for general ...

technology company. The technology was originally developed for monitoring pilots, astronauts and special forces through sensors in their helmets. It was then expanded to consumer fitness products, including artificially intelligent wearables, such as Vi.

History

The company was founded by air force former pilots, Omri Yoffe and Zvika Orron, looking for a way to improve pilot monitoring during the physical challenges of flying. Its first products tracked the heart rate and blood flow of air force pilots and astronauts, by embedding sensors in their helmets, as they pulled multiple Gs. Yoffe says the founders saw the need for the product because pilots sometimes died when they didn't have proper biometric data. Optical head sensors were chosen to not interfere with pilot performance. The Israeli Air Force helped test the technology. The U.S. Air Force and NASA have used the products. The technology was adapted and licensed for wearables by

Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

and

Under Armour Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports equipment company that manufactures footwear, sports and casual apparel. Under Armour's global headquarters are located in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices located in Amsterdam (European head ...

, among others, before introducing consumer products. The company has research and development centers in Los Angeles, Israel and Asia. It raised $16 million in March, 2016, bringing its total investment to $19 million.

Consumer products

Artificially intelligent wearables

Vi

In June, 2016, the company released the prototype of Vi, a wearable AI earphone personal training device that combines voice instructions with bio-sensors. The voice-activated digital assistant is similar to Apple's

Siri Siri ( ) is a virtual assistant that is part of Apple Inc.'s iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, tvOS, and audioOS operating systems. It uses voice queries, gesture based control, focus-tracking and a natural-language user interface to answer qu ...

with the fitness tracking features of

Fitbit Fitbit (stylized as fitbit) is an American consumer electronics and fitness company. It produces wireless-enabled wearable technology, physical fitness monitors and activity trackers such as smartwatches, pedometers and monitors for heart rate, ...

. The earbuds have sensors that track heart rate, heart rate variability and motion while running. Sensors also track weather, elevation, and location. Vi analyzes the data and provides real-time coaching based on fitness goals. It also chooses

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

or Apple Music tracks that match the beats per minute of the recommended pace. The product is scheduled for consumer release in December, 2016. A Kickstarter campaign for Vi ended in July 2016 with $1.68 million, making it the highest funded campaign to date for a wearable.

Technology partnerships

LifeBEAM technology is embedded in the Samsung Simband platform for smart watches, Samsung's competitive platform to the

Apple Watch Apple Watch is a line of smartwatches produced by Apple Inc. It incorporates fitness tracking, health-oriented capabilities, and wireless telecommunication, and integrates with iOS and other Apple products and services. The Apple Watch was rel ...

. LifeBEAM's algorithms are used in Simband sensors, measuring heart rate, calories and steps. The platform became available in late 2014. The technology powers the heart rate monitoring feature in Under Armour's Wireless Headphones, released at CES in January 2016. It also powers the 2XU Smart Hat, first reviewed in January 2016.

Helmet

In 2013, LifeBEAM used crowdsourced funding platform IndieGogo to fund a sensor-rich bicycle helmet. The helmet uses an optical sensor instead of an ECG chest strap to measure an athlete's heart rate. The data collected from the optical sensor is transmitted to a mobile phone or device using

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

ANT+ Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,0 ...

so that athletes can keep track of their heart rate in real time. The LifeBEAM Smart Helmet has been reviewed in publications such as Gear Patrol, Cycling Tips, and Cycling Tech Review, and Gear Junkie. The company further commercialized the product with the release of co-branded products with Lazer Helmets. The first edition was released in May 2014 and the second edition, the Lazer LifeBEAM 2.0, in December 2015.

Sports cap

The company offers a sports cap, the LifeBEAM Hat, released in November 2014, that provides biorhythm collection for runners by measuring heart rate, cadence and calories burned. The LifeBEAM Hat has been reviewed in publications such as CNET,

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...

and Tom's Guide.

Aerospace products

LifeBEAM technology is integrated into a helmet for pilots developed by Elbit that measures blood flow (including oxygen saturation) across a pilot's forehead, warning of impending G-LOC or hypoxiam, and switching to auto-pilot if the pilot loses consciousness or goes into hypoxia. The optical technology is integrated into Elbit's smart helmets for F-16 pilots, released in June 2015, measuring blood flow (perfusion), pulse rate, and SpO2. Algorithms integrate the pilot's physiology, aircraft physics (G-forces, velocity, altitude & positioning) and the pilot's head & body posture to sense life-threatening problems and notify the air and ground crew.

References

{{cite news, last1=Levitch, first1=Colin, title=Lazer LifeBEAM 2.0, url=http://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/gear/category/accessories/gadgets/heart-rate-monitors/product/review-lazer-lifebeam-2-0-49916/, accessdate=2 May 2016, publisher=bikeradar, date=1 December 2015 Companies established in 2011