【Secretive Boarding House】

Smartwatches may not be Secretive Boarding Houseas hot as they used to be, but that doesn't mean wrist-worn wearables are dead altogether.

Far from it, actually. Take the Emma Watch, a wrist wearable created by Microsoft Research Innovation Director Haiyan Zhang that's designed to help reduce the hand tremors people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease live with.

With the Emma Watch, Zhang was able to help graphic designer Emma Lawton, who has Parkinson's, write and sketch again.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft CEO: It's our job to prevent '1984' from coming true

It's this mission to use technology to empower the human condition that is at the heart of everything Microsoft does, CEO Satya Nadella said at this year's Build developers conference.

Introduced on the BBC's The Big Life Fix last December, the Emma Watch has catapulted Zhang to fame. The reception for the Emma Watch has been overwhelmingly positive and she says she's received hundreds of messages from people interested in the device.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

With no cure to Parkinson's and slow advances in medical and surgical solutions that have yet to yield any sweeping improvements, researchers and developers like Zhang are turning to technology to fill the void.

According to Microsoft, the Emma Watch employs "vibrating motors -- similar to those found in mobile phones -- to distract the brain into focusing on something other than trying to control the patient’s limbs."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The motors create vibrations to counter a Parkinson's patient's tremors, effectively stabilizing them. Lawton credits the Emma Watch's stabilization for restoring her ability to write and draw again -- skills she needs as a graphic designer.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

If not for Zhang's invention, Lawton says she would have given up on being a graphic designer and looked for another career where her tremors wouldn't negatively impact her work.

"It’s a bit of a modern-day miracle -- someone not being able to write and draw and then being able to do it again," Lawton says. "And the watch continues to work. It fills me with joy that it wasn’t just a one-off, a fluke. I get foot cramps, so I’m going to try wearing it around the house on my ankle and see whether that helps. You never know."

Though the Emma Watch is a game changer, there's still a long way to go -- "many years" -- before it can be commercialized, which is admittedly a bummer. Still, that Zhang was able to use technology to create a solution that works better than existing medical or surgical solutions is promising, and opens the door for more developers to do the same.

---

Featured Video For You

---

This smart pillow can track your sleep and gently wake you up

---

Topics Microsoft Social Good

• Life
• Entertainment
• Science
• Social Good
• Shopping
• Games
• Deals
• Digital Culture

• Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025: Best Apple deals on iPads, MacBooks, and more still live
• This teen slept through his alarm because of Netflix and still won gold at the Olympics
• Twitch has a bunch of solid new anti
• Tinder users are changing their locations to match with athletes at the Winter Olympics
• Best travel deal: Score the Frontier Go Wild! summer pass for just $399
• Instagram's Superzoom feature is the perfect meme for your precious pets
• Flu season rages on, beating 2009 swine flu epidemic as deaths climb
• Google Search for desktop gets dark mode support
• Elon Musk makes request to Reddit CEO to take down posts he didn't like
• Mary Elizabeth Winstead kills it in Netflix's 'Kate': Review

• United's new tickets ban use of overhead bins
• Dog devastated to realize bone painted on bowl is not an actual bone
• White nationalists: Not handling their Twitter apocalypse well
• Snapchat now lets you add Bitmoji to on
• These incredibly detailed paintings of stuffed animals will make you feel like a kid again
• Manhattan D.A. reopens encryption battle with Apple
• Fantastic drinks and how to make them for all your Harry Potter party needs
• I spent my morning at New York's new Taylor Swift Experience
• Kanye West basically outlined his 2020 presidential platform last night
• FanDuel, DraftKings finally agree to merger

• Nintendo Switch 2 release date, price announced
• Fat unicorn cakes are the adorable trending dessert we're eating up
• Why you should stop laughing at Trump over a stock market correction
• The Leslie Jones Winter Olympics live
• Sony PULSE Elite PS5 headset open
• How to create Instagram Highlights
• Pyeongchang Opening Ceremony was all about 'Gangnam Style' in 2018
• 'Malignant' hides its twist in plain sight: 6 easter eggs you missed
• Best Samsung deal: Save $60 on 64GB Samsung Galaxy Tab A9
• Olympians from North and South Korea are taking selfies together

• Apple iPhone 17 Pro leaks highlight major new design change
• The Leslie Jones Winter Olympics live
• Happy dog launches himself through open car window at rocket speed
• How to use iOS message effects on your iPhone
• Shop the Google Pixel Pro 9 for $200 off at Amazon
• Happy dog launches himself through open car window at rocket speed
• I've never seen 'The Matrix' but here's what I think of the new trailer
• Android 12 now has a possible release date. Pixel 6 might not be far behind.
• Instagram tests Storylines, a collaborative twist on Stories
• Fat unicorn cakes are the adorable trending dessert we're eating up