Image: Oura
Oura Ring users can now explore the future of health tracking with Oura Labs, a new platform for testing experimental features. The first feature, Symptom Radar, focuses on early detection of physiological stress, not full-blown illness.
Unlike the illness detection features many wearables aimed for during the pandemic, Symptom Radar tracks biometric trends like temperature, respiration, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability. When it detects significant changes, it prompts users to prioritize rest through Rest Mode or a lowered activity goal.
While illness could be a cause, other factors like intense workouts or poor sleep can trigger alerts too. Oura wisely avoids medical claims. The company clarifies it's "not a diagnostic feature" but aims to enhance your understanding of your body's signals. Diagnostics require FDA approval, whereas promoting wellness and self-awareness falls outside their scope.
Oura Labs features like Symptom Radar are constantly evolving. Based on user feedback and data analysis, they might be removed, revamped, or even integrated into the main app. This approach aligns with similar initiatives like Fitbit Labs, which allows Fitbit Premium users to test and provide feedback on artificial intelligence-powered features.