A company called Nanit launched a smart camera for baby monitoring that uses (obviously) computer vision and machine learning algorithms to watch, study, and learn from your sleeping baby. In contrast, most other modern baby monitoring devices require putting sensors on a baby, which is something not all parents are willing to do.
The Nanit camera captures video footage of your child from a tall, white stand that is designed to lean against the wall. The product is also designed to be fall-resistant and to thwart grabby babies. Also, it has a built-in nightlight to eliminate the need for yet another device near the baby. However, the true invention lies in the backend, where Nanit algorithms analyze everything the camera sees.
Results of these algorithms are beamed back to the Nanit mobile app that shares insights based on your baby’s moves, like when sleep actually begins and when parents come into the room, as well as a crib heat map of where your kid moves throughout the night. Each morning, the app will show a highlight reel of the previous night, along with a sleep score, as well as behavioral analysis and parenting tips. Also, from time to time, it will congratulate parents on milestones, like the first time a baby puts herself back to sleep without their intervention.
“It’s not simple to make parenting tips universal because there are a lot of parenting approaches out there,” says Dr. Assaf Glazer, Nanit’s CEO and co-founder. “Just giving them awareness is 50 percent of the way.” He spent the last 15 years studying computer vision, earning his PhD at Technion in Israel and his post-doctorate at Cornell Tech in the field of machine learning and computer vision. When Glazer got his first child, he was curious about his son’s sleeping and behavioral patterns but found that existing video monitors were not on par with what he wanted. And that’s how Nanit was born.
As that’s usually the case with computer vision and machine learning devices, Nanit gets smarter over time, with the idea to further expand its use cases in the future. “Our goal is to expand the boundaries of human observation, and we start with babies,” Glazer says.
The Nanit camera will cost $349 when it ships in September, and today it’s available for preorder for $279. Alongside the device, Nanit will also offer a subscription-based access to its analytical software. People who preorder get the first month free with each additional month costing $10. There’s also a 50 percent discount option when you buy a full year of service at once…
[Via: TheVerge]