A bracelet to kick bad habits
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Keen is a smart bracelet that alerts users when they are engaging in unwanted compulsive behaviour
Spotted: Minnesota-based startup HabitAware has developed a smart bracelet that tracks body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRB). BFRB includes nail-biting, skin-picking, thumb-sucking and hair-pulling.
Due to the high cost of therapy, treatment of BFRB is often exclusive to those that can afford it. The idea behind the creation of the bracelet, which is named Keen, was to make treatment available to everyone. The product has already received multiple awards, including The Time’s Best Inventions and The Minnesota Cup.
The bracelet works by monitoring hand movements. To use the bracelet, customers must first record a specific behaviour that they wish to target. The bracelet then monitors when the behaviour is performed and relays the information to its complimentary app.
The bracelet vibrates whenever the user performs the repetitive behaviour, encouraging the wearer to build awareness. The bracelet also features a guiding light, which the company says will help users “retrain their brain”. Since launching, over fifteen thousand bracelets have been sold. Keen can be purchased for €134.