Nokia Bell Labs & Cambridge Future Tech Bring AI to Health
As the demand for innovative health monitoring solutions continues to rise, the intersection of technology and healthcare is becoming increasingly vital.
With healthcare providers striving for more effective ways to monitor patient well-being remotely, the development of advanced wearable devices has gained significant traction.
In this evolving landscape, Nokia Bell Labs, research lab of Nokia, has joined forces with Cambridge Future Tech, a venture builder dedicated to transforming research innovations into commercial realities.
Together, they are set to revolutionise the health tech space with the introduction of OmniBuds, an ear-worn AI platform designed to provide continuous and reliable physiological data monitoring.
Advancing research via the partnership
OmniBuds is described by the pair as the world's first ear-worn AI platform for health monitoring and this partnership aims to accelerate the transition from research to commercial product, combining Nokia Bell Labs' technical expertise with Cambridge Future Tech's market knowledge
"This engagement between Nokia and Cambridge Future Tech offers an accelerated external research commercialisation pathway to harness the innovation developed by Nokia Bell Labs and utilise Cambridge Future Tech's venture building prowess, to create new products and services for augmenting people's lives," says Mike Chen, Vice President of Ventures and Partnerships at Nokia.
It uses machine learning AI algorithms to process physiological data collected from sensors placed within wireless earbuds. The system monitors heart rate, respiration, and physical activity through contact points in the ear canal. The ear canal then provides consistent sensor contact compared to wrist-worn devices, which can shift position during use. Such stability is able to allow more reliable data collection for healthcare applications.
Cambridge Future Tech will lead the scaling and market deployment of the technology. It specialises in transforming research innovations into commercial enterprises, building off its collaboration with Nokia Bell Labs' existing relationship with the University of Cambridge.
In 2018, Nokia Bell Labs became a founding partner of the Centre for Mobile, Wearable Systems and Augmented Intelligence at Cambridge's Department of Computer Science and Technology. The centre focuses on developing mobile systems, security protocols, new materials and AI applications to enhance human communication capabilities.
AI-augmented healthcare
"OmniBuds has the potential to completely transform the health tech space and positively impact people's lives around the world".
The technology also enables healthcare providers to receive continuous, real-time data about patient vital signs. This monitoring capability could support earlier medical interventions based on changes in patient health indicators.
"OmniBuds has the potential to completely transform the health tech space and positively impact people's lives around the world," says Owen Thompson, CEO and co-founder of Cambridge Future Tech.
The platform targets both consumer and healthcare provider markets. For healthcare providers, the system offers a method of monitoring patients remotely while collecting consistent data. For consumers, it provides health monitoring capabilities integrated into a familiar device format.
"We look to organisations like Cambridge Future Tech to accelerate the value creation from our research by taking our technology innovations out of the lab and putting them into the real-world," says Thierry E. Klein, President of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia.
These advancements in wearable AI technology for healthcare are not only improving patient outcomes but also transforming the way healthcare is delivered, making it more proactive, personalised, and accessible.
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