At a superficial glance and from the perspective of someone who spends no more than five seconds on his appearance, the thought of an Internet-connected hairbrush seems unnecessary. In the above interview, filmed at its CES2017 debut, Vincent Nida, General Manager of Kérastase, makes a convincing case, which encompasses hair health as well as economics, for a data-driven method for hair-brushing; really an app-based, hair coach.
Nida explains that L’Oreal and Kérastase (a L’Oreal brand) have been working with Nokia’s Withings since last 2013 to develop their Kérastase Hair Coach and smart hairbrush. Sensors, which include microphone, gyrometer, 3-axis load cells, accelerometers and conductometer and haptic, provide data via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to the associated app that applies algorithms to determine things such as:
- breakage
- dryness
- tangling
- brushing quality and forces
- vibrates to give brush feedback technique
The app, “takes into account weather factors like humidity, temperature, UV and wind.” More than just providing data, the app becomes a virtual coach, making recommendations for products based on the hair-profile, as well as providing tutorials and expert advice.
Although it sounds expensive at the projected sub-$200 price, this is in line with other high-end brushes. Further, it promises more efficient purchases of hair products. Of course, the value of a good hair day is priceless.
[Note: In the above interview, Nida suggests that the Kérastase Hair Coach would be released by mid-2017. At the time of publication of this article, it isn’t yet available.]
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