science

LifeBEAM

LifeBEAM is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand LifeBEAM rather than just read about it. In short: LifeBEAM, founded in 2011, is an artificial-intelligence wearables technology company. The technology was originally developed for monitoring pilots, astronauts and special forces through sensors in their helmets.

Key takeaways

LifeBEAM belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect LifeBEAM to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of LifeBEAM from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

LifeBEAM, founded in 2011, is an artificial-intelligence wearables technology company. The technology was originally developed for monitoring pilots, astronauts and special forces through sensors in their helmets. It was then expanded to consumer fitness products, including artificially intelligent wearables, such as Vi.

History The company was founded in 2011 by air force former pilots, Omri Yoffe and Zvika Orron, looking for a way to improve pilot monitoring during the physical challenges of flying. Its first products tracked the heart rate and blood flow of air force pilots and astronauts, by embedding sensors in their helmets, as they pulled multiple Gs. Yoffe says the founders saw the need for the product because pilots sometimes died when they didn't have proper biometric data. Optical head sensors were chosen to not interfere with pilot performance. The Israeli Air Force helped test the technology. The U.S. Air Force and NASA have used the products. The technology was adapted and licensed for wearables by Samsung and Under Armour, among others, before introducing consumer products. The company has research and development centers in Los Angeles, Israel and Asia. It raised $16 million in March 2016, bringing its total investment to $19 million.

Consumer products

Artificially intelligent wearables

Vi In June +2016, the company released the prototype of Vi, a wearable AI earphone personal training device that combines voice instructions with bio-sensors. The voice-activated digital assistant is similar to Apple's Siri with the fitness tracking features of Fitbit. The earbuds have sensors that track heart rate, heart rate variability and motion while running. Sensors also track weather, elevation, and location. Vi analyzes the data and provides real-time coaching based on fitness goals. It also chooses Spotify or Apple Music tracks that match the beats per minute of the recommended pace. The product was released to consumers in 2017. A Kickstarter campaign for Vi ended in July 2016 with $1.68 million, making it the highest-funded campaign to date for a wearable.

Technology partnerships LifeBEAM technology is embedded in the Samsung Simband platform for smart watches, Samsung's competitive platform to the Apple Watch. LifeBEAM's algorithms are used in Simband sensors, measuring heart rate, calories and steps. The platform became available in late 2014. The technology powers the heart rate monitoring feature in Under Armour's Wireless Headphones, released at CES in January 2016. It also powers the 2XU Smart Hat, first reviewed in January 2016.

Helmet In 2013, LifeBEAM used crowdsourced funding platform IndieGogo to fund a sensor-rich bicycle helmet. The helmet uses an optical sensor instead of an ECG chest strap to measure an athlete's heart rate. The data collected from the optical sensor is transmitted to a mobile phone or device using Bluetooth or ANT+ so that athletes can keep track of their heart rate in real time. The LifeBEAM Smart Helmet has been reviewed in publications such as Gear Patrol, Cycling Tips, and Cycling Tech Review, and Gear Junkie. The company further commercialized the product with the release of co-branded products with Lazer Helmets. The first edition was released in May 2014 and the second edition, the Lazer LifeBEAM 2.0, in December 2015.

Sports cap The company offers a sports cap, the LifeBEAM Hat, released in November 2014, that provides biorhythm collection for runners by measuring heart rate, cadence and calories burned. The LifeBEAM Hat has been reviewed in publications such as CNET, Time Magazine and Tom's Guide.

Aerospace products LifeBEAM technology is integrated into a helmet for pilots developed by Elbit that measures blood flow (including oxygen saturation) across a pilot's forehead, warning of impending G-LOC or hypoxiam, and switching to auto-pilot if the pilot loses consciousness or goes into hypoxia. The optical technology is integrated into Elbit's smart helmets for F-16 pilots, released in June 2015, measuring blood flow (perfusion), pulse rate, and SpO2. Algorithms integrate the pilot's physiology, aircraft physics (G-forces, velocity, altitude & positioning) and the pilot's head & body posture to sense life-threatening problems and notify the air and ground crew.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with LifeBEAM

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what LifeBEAM claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to LifeBEAM before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about LifeBEAM ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of LifeBEAM

In research: LifeBEAM appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses LifeBEAM in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: LifeBEAM is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2011 establishments in New York City, American companies established in 2011, Electronics companies established in 2011, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for LifeBEAM outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study LifeBEAM in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what LifeBEAM means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain LifeBEAM out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is LifeBEAM in simple terms?

Why does LifeBEAM matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study LifeBEAM?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on LifeBEAM.