BBalance, the First Smart Bath Mat, Reinventing Our Relationship with Our Bodies

(Paris, France) October 5th - BBalance — a Baracoda startup, leader in the Daily Healthtech space, announces its launch of the first generation of smart bath mats. Through a patented technology which allows for user recognition, BBalance collects and communicates important data about the body: weight, body composition, and novel health indexes such as posture and balance. Conceived alongside a scientific committee and approved by a community of beta testers, this connected device allows users to regularly and holistically keep tabs on their health. For the final phase of its launch, it’s inviting people to contribute towards a crowdfunding campaign, allowing contributors to sign on as its first users in the world.

From the first mechanical scales to the latest smart devices, the routine of weighing ourselves to monitor our bodies hasn't changed in over 100 years. BBalance is aiming to redefine our understanding of our bodies’ health, tracking more than just weight and taking multiple conditions into account, recognizing symptoms that can only be accounted for when examined over time.

The limitation of physical activities — amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic and its normalization of home offices — has modified our behavior, making multiple syndromes more frequent, notably back pain. This has been verified by a British survey conducted by Nurofen in October 2020: over a third of people compelled to work from home under lockdown suffered an increased level of back pain.

BBalance has taken it upon itself to accompany users in their preventative health journeys, at home each day, throughout their beauty and health routines in their bathrooms. BBalance is capable of anticipating back problems, by analyzing posture and proposing daily, responsive exercises.

Thanks to its pressure-mapping technology and artificial intelligence, BBalance challenges the notion of weight measurement, which has previously been constrained by misunderstandings and antiquated technologies. Perfectly integrated into the environment of our bathrooms, a mat-scale approach seamlessly works its way into our everyday health and beauty routines.

Clearly distinguished from classic bath mats, BBalance is able to take daily
measurements of posture, weight, balance, and body composition, naturally and without awkward constraints. Users are then presented with a score that ranks their individual balance and postures, which they can then improve via daily exercises. Data tracking is presented directly on users’ smartphones, available at their leisure, and is also accessible on smartwatches, giving a holistic view of their overall health.

BBalance offers multiple functionalities, all-in-one:

• Effortless measurements thanks to its integration into users’ bath mats by camouflaging its appearance to dissipate the awkwardness that’s inherent in conventional scales. Users are no longer compelled to make an effort to weigh themselves, they simply need to step onto their bath mat as they get out of the shower or whIle they brush their teeth. Measurements are taken seamlessly and sent directly to the application.
• A dedicated app: since BBalance doesn’t have a screen, users can check their data directly on the app. To reduce the stress that comes with weighing ourselves, BBalance proposes a data-intensive viewing mode, or a simplified view that translates data into global trends interwoven with relevant advice. Users are only alerted in case of issues, risks or abnormalities.
• Advanced posture analysis to predict back pain and for early detection of scoliosis in teens.
• Balance evaluation to guide people in rehabilitating or improving their balance, allowing older or physically-compromised people to avoid falling.
• Weight calibration adapted with regards to users’ positions on their bath mats, accounting for the imprecisions that are inherent in conventional scales, ensuring that measured weight doesn’t vary based on user movements.
• An automatic recognition system via artificial intelligence, which identifies users based on their footprints. This system automatically associates data with relevant family members, personalizing the experience to each member of a household.
• Daily, personalized exercises that improve health pertaining to various axes: posture perfection, muscle building, balance improvement, or relaxation exercises that easily integrate into users’ morning and evening routines.
• The supervision of children's growth/ development (weight, posture, foot size)
• Body composition measurements, with a presentation of muscle mass, fat mass, water mass, and bone mass.

BBalance’s tech leverages advanced pressure mapping functionalities that allow for effortless health tracking. Two years of research and development have allowed for the invention of high-accuracy, precise pressure analysis. Thanks to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as a 12-month battery life, the mat requires minimal maintenance and blends seamlessly into users’ everyday life. Thanks to its advanced footprint recognition, data is sent and secured into users’ individual accounts.

Developed over the course of three years, the BBalance mat is distinguished by its cover, made of high-quality cotton and available in black or white (with limited-edition color schemes TBA). The cover is entirely removable and easily washable. BBalance will be available to the public beginning October 5th, 2021 via the Indiegogo preorder campaign— the world’s leading crowdfunding provider — followed by widespread availability on bbalance.io.

Established on three continents, Baracoda is a leader in Daily Healthtech. They infuse connected tech into the everyday routine — leveraging AI, data analysis, machine learning, app development, gamification and more. Baracoda launches products and scale business alongside global market leaders, relying on a unique B2B2C business model. Their CES-awarded innovation model is driven by quantitative indexes, developed in-house to recognize daily habits that improve health and wellness.