The wearable healthcare device market is expanding once again and this time it's aiming to get kids on board and the first one to the gate is a well-known children's tech toy maker which is prepping a fitness tracker that promises to make being healthy, and staying healthy, a fun thing for children.
LeapFrog, well respected for its computerized children's toys, is launching LeapBand, a tech-centric wrist device that encourages "active play and healthy habits" by incorporating a customizable pet pal inside the device.
Kids can track their activities, participate in challenges and earn points for successful activities.
The news comes as the wearable tech market is on the cusp of a big take-off after being mostly grounded in fitness trackers and vital signs monitors for the past few years. Wearable tech makers are embracing smartphone devices and mobile healthcare apps to drive innovative uses such as blood testing and body fluid monitoring. One adult device makers, Pulse, just released a new device that monitors a person's oxygen level.
The LeapBand, which comes with a parent guide, a parent quick start guide and a USB cable, will be available in three colors (pink, blue and green) for $39.99.
Young users can choose from eight pets, ranging from a unicorn to a dragon, and then customize the pet with a special name and color. The user and pet then participate in 50 available exercise challenges like 'jump like a frog' or 'walk like a crab.' Then there's also 'pet nurturing' in which the user takes care of their band pet in terms of feeding and grooming.
A Petathlon App lets the young user also use the device's activities on a PC/Mac or tablet or smartphone. According to the product's description it teaches gross motor skills, food and nutrition as well as hygiene and health lessons.
According to the LeapBand website the new wearable should be arriving by August.
