NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KINETIC, the company providing wearable technology that fosters safe environments for the industrial workforce, has been issued a broad patent for using a wearable device to perform contact tracing and proximity alerts by the U.S. Patent office. The company is opening the patent for free public domain use during the Covid-19 pandemic through the Open Covid Pledge. KINETIC was awarded the patent for its system and method for monitoring safety and productivity of physical tasks (patent number 10,772,538, issued 9/15/20).
KINETIC’s patent addresses two of the primary challenges that impact essential workers’ exposure to Covid-19:
“This pandemic has changed our everyday lives in very profound ways and has put essential workers, who are performing their jobs in spite of fears of contagion, at risk,” said Haytham Elhawary, KINETIC co-founder and CEO. “In times like this, it is not business as usual, and we want to lead by example by openly pledging our intellectual property so that others can bring products to market to protect our essential workers.”
Understanding the immense toll Covid-19 continues to take on the lives of so many people, KINETIC chose to open use of its patent for the duration of the pandemic. The company’s hope is that other organizations can use the technology to help provide solutions to keep essential workers safe. Rather than competitive enforcement of the patent, KINETIC’s leadership team is prioritizing working together to bring as many solutions to the market as possible to save more lives.
Read the KINETIC Blog for more on how open use of the intellectual property can help protect essential workers: Why We're Making Our Patent Available for Free During COVID-19.
KINETIC’s Open Covid Pledge
KINETIC is making its patent available through The Open COVID Pledge, a project lead and stewarded by Creative Commons, the nonprofit that helps overcome legal obstacles to the sharing of knowledge and creativity to address the world’s pressing challenges. Open use of KINETIC’s intellectual property expires either at the end of the pandemic (when there is a vaccine) or no later than January 2023.
About the KINETIC Reflex
KINETIC’s flagship solution, the KINETIC Reflex, is a discrete smart wearable that is worn on belts or waistbands of industrial workers. It automatically detects unsafe work postures and provides users with real-time feedback to reduce injuries and create better work habits. The technology was recently updated with this patented technology to add proximity alert features -- enabling workers to practice proper social distancing, and to help keep them safe during this pandemic.
Learn how the REFLEX wearable device and software platform work together to optimize your contact tracing process – saving time and increasing accuracy when it matters most: https://www.wearkinetic.com/covid19/.
About KINETIC
KINETIC provides wearable technology and a software analytics platform that helps reduce workplace injuries and protects workers from COVID-19. To date, tens of thousands of workers have worn KINETIC’s Reflex product at hundreds of facilities around the world, with a 56% reduction in injury rates. Customers include companies in the retail, logistics and manufacturing industries, including 6 of the Fortune 50. KINETIC was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in New York. Learn more at https://wearkinetic.com/.
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Cavalier Communications
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