【1995 Archives】

We995 Archivesshifting towards an age of companion robots and emotionally intelligent devices. At least that's what Kayla Matheus and Laura Day, the co-founders and inventors of MOTI, think.

MOTI is a new wellness companion device designed to help you develop good habits. Matheus believes "wearables" are a thing of the past. MOTI itself is a small device perfect for a desk or bedside table and best used with a supporting app connectable through a wifi Network. With the app, you are able to set up each habit, learn your motivational profile, view your data and more.

The small companion lights up, makes noise and rewards you throughout the day as a way to provide instant gratification. All of these features are adjustable and customizable. MOTI charges by micro USB and connects to a wireless network in order to connect with the mobile device and operate throughout the day.

Given her background in human-centered design and engineering, Kayla Matheus specifically designed the device to be more than just technology and able to interact with the user beyond the surface level based on insight from behavioral science. The companion bot even has what resembles eyes and a face, essential components of social robotics. Social robotics are designed to to interact with their users and trigger a bond between user and machine.

MOTI goes back to basics with classic conditioning using sound, light and haptic technology, similar to a wearable device like the Apple watch, to reinforce the proper response and encourage the completion of a predetermined goal throughout the day. It keeps you on track. "You can't just celebrate at the end...it's celebrating the progression even when you don't feel the singular effect," Matheus adds. She believes in instant gratification and an emotional connection to get results.

The device itself acts in a personalized way based on the needs of the user. It may act as a coach to some and a friend to others. MOTI even evolves based on habit progression.

At SF Peak Performance, Matheus shares that habits form 45 percent of our daily routines on any given day. Knowing this, curbing bad habits and forming good ones takes on considerable importance. She and Day strongly emphasize the habit loop at the heart of design, an elemental three-step process of habit formation rotating between trigger, routine and reward sequences.

Interested? Check out the company's Kickstarter page. The product is projected to ship to early birds by July 2017 at the latest.

If you back the project for single device, it requires a pledge of $99, though multi-packages are available. The price will only go up once it hits the market.