Virgin Media launches ‘KipstR’ the tech that controls TV as you sleep
Turkey with all the trimmings, one more sherry, and hours with the in-laws: no wonder one in five (18%) of us are expected to fall asleep on the sofa on Christmas day! With Brits watching around 4 hours of festive viewing on Christmas day, people are set to miss up to 51.3 million viewing hours, including shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Downton Abbey, or the anticipated plot twists on Coronation Street. Luckily for us, tech-savvy teens Ryan Oliver, 15, and Jonathan Kingsley, 14, students at Manchester Creative Studio, teamed up with Virgin Media as part of its Switched on Futures initiative to create ‘KipstR’—a piece of Virgin Media wearable technology designed to rescue sleeping Sofa Bears from the Fear Of Missing Out (F.O.M.O.) by automatically setting their TiVo boxes to record whatever they’re watching if they fall asleep in front of the box.
Luckily for us, Tech savvy teens, Ryan Oliver, 15, and Jonathan Kingsley, 14, students at Manchester Creative Studio, teamed up with Virgin Media, as part of its Switched on Futures initiative to create ‘KipstR’ – wearable technology to rescue sleeping Sofa Bears from the Fear Of Missing Out (F.O.M.O) by automatically setting their TiVo boxes to record whatever they’re watching if they fall asleep in front of the box.
Ryan and Jonathan were commissioned by Virgin Media to help develop the 3D-printed wristband which uses a pulse-oximeter to sense if the wearer is asleep or awake and then mimics the users’ TiVo remote control to pause, record or resume a show appropriately.
Avoid 4 million expected arguments over TV with KipstR
According to research from Virgin Media, Dads are the most likely to take control of Christmas telly viewing – a potential cause for the 4 million expected arguments over TV this Christmas day. However, with KipstR, the rest of the family can change the channel with the peace of mind that Dad’s show will be safely recorded.
Talking about the new technology – Virgin Media wearable technology, Ryan, 15 commented:
“We jumped at the chance to work with the Virgin Media team on this project, it was a brilliant challenge for us but we’ve learnt so much and are really pleased with the end result.”
Jonathan, 14, added:
“We have really enjoyed working alongside the innovation team at Virgin Media. It’s given us a taster for what we would like to do when we leave school. We’re excited to see what the next project with Virgin Media will bring.”
Neil Illingworth, head of advanced technology and innovation at Virgin Media said:
“We have been exploring the possibilities of connected entertainment for some time and are very excited to unveil KipstR. With emerging new technologies, it is possible to create almost anything, such as emotionally intelligent entertainment systems that can suggest shows based on your moods, or even harness brainwaves to control your television.”
How does KipstR work?
- KipstR measures a user’s heart rate to detect sleep before communicating with TiVo to pause and record the current program being viewed. When the user’s heart rate rises to ‘awake’ levels it can trigger Virgin Media’s TiVo boxes to resume the program.
- The current KipstR prototype features a spark core chip, pulse-oximeter, push button, sleep mode indicator, and a small LiPo battery.
- The spark core chip at the heart of KipstR processes all the data from the pulse-oximeter, dictating when the band triggers TiVo to record, pause or re-play.
- The flexible outer casing of KipstR is 3D printed using an Objet Connex 3D Printer using a new, resin called Polyjet which is more robust than the rigid plastics used by most 3D printers.
- Wearable technologies such as KipstR could also be used to monitor wearer’s emotional reactions to their TV viewing, helping TiVo learn & tag programmes that evoke the strongest responses from the wearer.
- Virgin Media is exploring how KipstR could sleep-control other connected devices in the home including powering up & down devices and controlling customers’ central heating, helping save time and money.
The science of Christmas sleep
- Turkey is a natural sedative as it is rich in an amino acid called tryptophan increases serotonin levels which dulls the senses and induces a mid-afternoon slumber.
- Rich in magnesium, almonds help boost the length and quality of sleep. A study published in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine found that low magnesium levels can cause broken sleep.
- Sipping on red wine will raise levels of melatonin in the body, meaning that the hormone that keeps our body clocks in check will receive a boost, sending us sleepy after a tipple.
Virgin Media will be trialling KipstR this Christmas with customers able to register interest in KipstR from December 2014.
