Japanese video game company Nintendo Thursday announced it will develop a device to track and improve the quality of sleep, the latest venture of the company to get into the "eHealth" business.
The new device will be developed in collaboration with American firm ResMed which specialises in technology to treat sleep disorders, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata said in a press conference.
With the sleep device, the video game company will join Apple and Samsung in the booming electronic health market.
"We started as a company that made people smile with products like videogames. We still want to help define the quality of life that makes users more happy," Iwata said in a statement.
The new device, the launch date of which is not known yet, will be generically named "QOL" or Quality of Life.
According to Nintendo, the gadget will have a system to measure time and quality of sleep without coming in contact with the body or being activated.
The user will need to install it next to the bed and the gadget will automatically start collecting data. The information will be uploaded on "the cloud" and after combining it with the user's other personal data, a diagnosis and recommendations related to exercise and diet will also be offered.
The announcement of the project comes a day after the Kyoto-based company reported a net profit of $132 million between April and September, after suffering a loss of $207.5 million last year.
In the past, Nintendo developed Wii Fit, which combines electronic entertainment with practical exercise at home and which can also measure and relate data about calory intake and diet.
