Bluetooth low energy multifunction wearable monitors tracks blood alcohol level, indoor air quality, and more

Nordic Semiconductor today announces that Shanghai, China-based health wearables technology company, HiCling Technology, has selected Nordic’s multiple award-winning nRF51822 Bluetooth^®low energy (previously known as Bluetooth Smart) System-on-Chip (SoC) for its new Cling VOC health and fitness wristband.

The multifunction wristband and smartwatch is equipped with a range of sensors to track health data including heart rate, body temperature, activity, and sleep, as well as a pair of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) MOX multigas sensors to monitor indoor air quality and the concentration of alcohol in the user’s blood. The professional grade sensors are able to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air to a precision of 10 parts per billion, and blood alcohol at 1mg per 100ml, making them suitable for a range of personal- and business-safety applications and end users.

In the Cling VOC wristband, the nRF51822 SoC allows captured data to be wirelessly communicated to an accompanying Cling iOS- or Android-smartphone app. From the app dashboard the user can monitor their heart rate and skin temperature history and view their activity (steps, distance, and calories burned) statistics. The app also provides sleep analysis data as well as an overall health assessment based on the user’s lifestyle and personal medical history.

The wearable comes in a 9 by 18mm wristband form factor and is powered by a 65mAh lithium polymer (Li-Pol) battery, allowing the device to operate for up to six days between recharge, thanks in part to the ultra low power consumption of the Nordic SoC. Recharge time is one hour.

“Nordic is well known for its ultra low power short range wireless products, and the nRF51822 was the best choice for us to achieve our super low power consumption and performance goals for the Cling VOC wristband product,” says Richard Chen, CEO and Founder of HiCling Technology.

Nordic’s nRF51822 is a powerful and flexible multiprotocol SoC ideally suited for Bluetooth low energy and 2.4GHz ultra low-power wireless applications. The nRF51822 is built around a 32-bit ARM® Cortex™ M0 CPU with 256kB/128kB flash and 32kB/16kB RAM. The embedded 2.4GHz transceiver is fully compliant with Bluetooth 4.2, the latest version of the Bluetooth specification of which Bluetooth low energy is a part.