The NBA will provide its players with a Coronavirus ring with biometric sensors: it’s called Oura and it’s produced by a Finnish company.
The NBA will start again at the end of July. In the enchanted setting of the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, the teams of the top American basketball league will compete for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Coronavirus permitting. To reduce the risks of contagion, the top management of the NBA have decided to resort (also) to technology by providing players with a smart ring that can monitor the health of the wearer. The device was developed by the Finnish biomedical company Oura. The ring is equipped with special biometric sensors that monitor body temperature, respiratory rate, heartbeat and sleep cycle. In addition, the device can warn the wearer if they come into contact with people tested positive for Covid-19. The device is wireless, works with Bluetooth technology and has a seven-day battery life.
Smart and anti-Coronavirus: the Finnish ring for NBA players
A series of tests conducted by the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute has shown that the Coronavirus ring has an accuracy of 90% and is able to prevent contagion three days in advance. The ring will be made available to players: each basketballer will be free to choose whether to wear it or not. It is not yet clear how the sensitive data of those who choose to put the ring on their finger will be treated. to Espn, teams will not have access to players’ data but will only be warned in case of contagion. Ali Rezai – executive director of the Rockefeller Institute – explained that “if we are able to provide information on asymptomatic people able to spread the virus and help with early detection thanks to this technology, we can decide with more information behind us, facilitate security, prioritize testing to those who need it most and implement different containment strategies.
