New Oura feature: Can smart rings tell if you're getting sick?

Smart rings primarily analyse similar things to a smartwatch: step count, sporting activities, sleep or even pulse and blood oxygen. Now Oura is going one step further. The manufacturer has activated an area in the software for all users called Oura Labs.

Here, users can find "experimental" functions that they can test and evaluate. The first new feature you can try out is called Symptom Radar.

The ring in Symptom Radar reports significant changes in biometric data, such as body temperature, breathing or heart rate. This can indicate that a cold or flu is on its way, for example.

The feature is therefore a first step towards the early detection of illnesses. In the medium term, it is conceivable that the ring will warn of impending illnesses. Users are then motivated by the software to recover until the measurement data is better again. This makes it easier to progress.

Features still without official approval

There are also legal reasons why Oura is very reluctant to advertise the new functions. As soon as it is a diagnostic feature, it needs official approval. In the USA, for example, from the FDA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In test mode, it is still considered a wellness feature that can be used without testing.

Other manufacturers of smart rings are also pushing the health sector. With Ultrahuman, for example, the app indicates deviations in body temperature. There is also a special tracking function for the circadian rhythm, i.e. the human circadian rhythm with phases of sleep and wakefulness. If this rhythm is out of balance due to jet lag, for example, the smart ring recognises this and provides tips on how the rhythm can be synchronised correctly again. For example, which bedtimes make sense.

This is the first step towards early detection of flu, colds or other illnesses. Smart rings are predestined for this because they can measure body temperature and other vital functions on the finger even more accurately than smart watches. What's more, you normally wear the ring day and night because it has a battery life of just under a week even when all the sensors are in use. This means the software collects a lot of data over a long period of time.

The role model in the area of health is Apple: the US manufacturer has added more and more health functions to the Apple Watch over the years, from fall detection to warnings in the event of cardiac arrhythmia.