Timex has announced a partnership with Pison, a technology company that makes a brain-tracking, neural-sensing platform for wearables, and it intends to integrate it into a new range of products coming early this year. It may also be setting the stage for a new smartwatch powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5 processor.
Understanding Pison’s sensor and algorithm is essential to understanding what the future Timex products will offer. Pison’s electroneurography (ENG) platform measures physiological electricity originating from your brain using a skin biosensor, which when combined with AI-powered software algorithms, can provide insights into mental health, sleep, sports performance, and brain health. Think of it like a heart rate sensor that monitors your brain instead.
Working with semiconductor experts STMicroelectronics to miniaturize its ENG biosensor for use in wearables, Pison hase integrated it into Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5 platform, which is found in a variety of smartwatches, including the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 series. Pison currently sells a wristband that incorporates its sensor and AI algorithms, which are designed to “holistically and measurably improve mind-body fitness.” It’s aimed at people wanting to sharpen mental skills.
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Pison’s device is not especially attractive, and certainly not “lifestyle” orientated, which limits its appeal. This is likely where the new Timex partnership comes in. Timex president Marco Zambianchi said:
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Pison on integrating their groundbreaking neural sensor technology into our products. At Timex, our commitment is to deliver exceptional, innovative wearables that enhance the lives of consumers worldwide. This partnership allows us to redefine the boundaries of what’s possible in the smartwatch and wearable space, offering unparalleled functionality and value to our customers.”
What will the Timex wearable do?
What will a Timex smartwatch or band with Pison’s sensor offer? Expect something quite different from a normal fitness-tracking smartwatch, as it will give an insight into your mental health and well-being, including sleep, anxiety, and fatigue levels, while also assessing alertness. It will help athletes improve cognitive ability as well. It will also monitor for neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and ALS, plus gauge the effect of impacts to the head from contact sports and for those in the military.
An accompanying app will show data collected by the sensor, and Pison has integrated a gesture control system that builds on what we’ve already tried with Apple’s Double Tap system to help make the wearable easier to use. Interestingly, the sensor recognizes complex gestures using the electricity generated by the brain when we tell our fingers to move.
Timex has experimented with smartwatches and wellness products in the past, such as the Metropolitan R and the wellness-focused Teslar Watch. Pison joins companies like Alphabeats in experimenting with brain tracking wearables that may improve sports performance and focus, or reduce stress.
Timex intends to launch its first brain-tracking wearable with Pison technology inside in the spring, and the likely inclusion of the Snapdragon W5 platform suggests it may use Google’s Wear OS software.
