LifeTip is a Heart Attack Monitor You Can Clip to Your Shirt

Our weekly series on crowdfunding projects tries to look through Kickstarter, Indiegogo and other sites to find the most innovative and useful projects you can back. That's because some of the coolest new tech these days, like the Pebble Smartwatch and the Oculus Rift VR headset, didn't come from big companies but rather, from Kickstarter.

We're watching out for what comes next, and this week, the LifeTip - Health Wearable Device No-skin-contact ECG Technology caught our eye.

LifeTip, which has so far raised $4,771 out of its $65,000 funding goal, is a discreet ECG monitor that doesn't need to be connected to your body, so you can wear it at all times without being uncomfortable.

That's an advantage over other ECG devices on the market right now - some smartwatches include an ECG monitor, but not everyone will want to wear such a conspicuous device; others require you to actively check your ECG by attaching the connectors to your skin.

In contrast, the LifeTip clips on to your clothes and can then be forgotten. It is getting regular readings from you, so it can detect unusual changes in your typical heart-rate patterns and use this information to try and detect arrhythmias and other medical conditions, which it can then alert you about, using a Bluetooth-paired smartphone application.

In case it detects that you have gone unconscious, it can also place an immediate call to emergency medical services.

Aside from the ECG function, the Indiegogo page says that the LifeTip can also measure body temperature, and using a built-in GPS it can measure things like steps taken, and track your movements on a map. Since it is measuring movements and heart rate, the LifeTip can also track calorie consumption, and even body posture using three accelerometers. Another interesting function is the phone proximity feature - if you want, you can set it up to alert you when you're not near your phone - very handy in case you keep leaving your phone behind.

LifeTip comes in two versions - one without the ECG reader, which can still be used as a pedometer, thermometer, posture tracker, and smartphone companion, which is available as an early bird reward for $59, and otherwise for $109; the model with the ECG tracker has already sold out the early bird tier, but you can still get it for $159 - both versions are estimated for delivery in January 2015.

Both versions are available in two designs, a smaller more discreet version which the creators believe will appeal to women, who can clip it to their bras, and keep it out of sight, and a larger, men's version, which is designed to clip to your shirt, and be worn visibly. In both cases, it is meant to be positioned at the centre of your chest, and uses capacitive electrodes to measure ECG without any skin contact, so it is something you can put on, and then forget about until it is required. The LifeTip doesn't come with a rechargeable battery - instead, it uses a coin battery which is supposed to deliver three months of use, and can be removed and replaced cheaply.

It can also function as a smart companion to your phone. There's a one-button interface, and the creators say that you can set up different functions for single, double and triple button presses using the smartphone app. Some of the features suggested on the Indiegogo page include using the LifeTip as a remote shutter for your smartphone camera, rejecting incoming calls, checking-in to your current location on Facebook or activating emergency calls. While those are all interesting features, the main reason why you would be interested in something like the LifeTip is the health functions and the app on your smartphone lets you carry out analysis on the different data that the sensors are collecting.

For more details, check out the pitch video below:

The project started on July 13, and has so far raised under 10 percent of its funding goal, but it will continue to accept pledges until August 13.

To see more stories from the world of crowdfunding, click here.