Paging Steph Curry: new ‘smart’ mouthguard battles dehydration
One of the most enduring images of Stephen Curry’s recent run to the NBA championship is the Golden State Warriors star shooting free throws with a dangling mouthguard. But what if that mouthguard was “smart”? What if it could have warned Curry that he was severely dehydrated during Game 5? These are the questions posed by Michael Robinson, a former San Francisco 49ers fullback, whose tech startup, SMRT Mouth, makes mouthguards that collect data that get transmitted to mobile devices. The company name is an acronym for Sports Monitoring Responsive Technology, and the Richmond, Va., outfit is developing a wireless mouthguard that can read an athlete’s biometric signs to tell whether they are overheating. SMRT Mouth wants to transform a cheap tool now worn to protect teeth into a sophisticated device that might be worn during non-contact sports to help athletes avoid problems like cramping or dehydration. The move also puts the company in the middle of a larger trend toward activity monitors like Fitbits, Jawbones and smartwatches that are already on the market, collecting personal data to help people improve their workouts and, ultimately, their health. ...