Factsheet

Developer:
Happitech
Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Founding date:
April, 2014

Website:
www.happitech.com 

Press / Business Contact:
yosef@happitech.com

Social:
twitter.com/happitech
Skype

Releases:
Skip a Beat

Phone:
+31 (6) 81 88 55 65

Press Release

Dutch Aerospace Engineers Announce The Launch Of Skip a Beat App, The World’s First Heartbeat-Controlled Mobile Game exclusively on the App Store

 

– Developed by Amsterdam-based Happitech, Skip a Beat measures the heart rate of the player and uses it as an input to control the movements of the game’s main character.

 

– Skip a Beat will be the first gamified Health app in the App Store- Happitech has already received a nomination for the Indie Prize gaming award for the app.

 

-“Skip a Beat was created to give people an insight into their body and mind, and it does so by simply using a iPhone and iPod touch to quantify different levels of well-being in a fun way,” — Founder Yosef Safi Harb.

 

– According to ABI Research, the mobile health app market is estimated to quadruple to $400 million by 2016.

 

February 5th, 2015 –Delft University of Technology alumni announce the launch of the world’s first heartbeat-controlled mobile game Skip a Beat, aim to provide insights into our health using unique biofeedback software.

Developed by Happitech, an Amsterdam-based healthcare software company, Skip a Beat is an endless runner game where the user controls the main character, Skip the Frog, by placing their finger of the iPhone’s and iPod touch’s camera.

The game then measures the heart rate of the player and uses it as an input to control the movements of “Skip”.

Already featured on leading publications such as Mashable and Venture Beat for its fresh perspective on using readily available gaming technology as a practical health tool, the app is set to come out of Beta on the 5^th of February and will be exclusively on the App Store for $1.99.

“Skip a Beat was created to give people an insight into their body and mind, and it does so by simply using a iPhone and iPod touch to quantify different levels of well-being in a fun way,” says Happitech founder and Delft University of Technology graduate Yosef Safi Harb, who developed the Skip a Beat App alongside a team of aerospace, software and neuroimaging engineers that include MIT PhD Mohammad Ghassemi.

The app’s interface allows players to learn how to control their hearth rate by controlling their breathing and thoughts to progress in the game. As the difficulty and pace of the game increases, players are challenged to keep a hold of their emotions and control their stress levels in a fun way.

“What happens when you’ve had too much coffee? A long day at work? or a good night’s sleep? I want to know how it affects my health and heart rate. I find it fascinating to see how my heart rate differs from day to day and explore the effect of different situations. Skip a Beat lets you do that,” adds Safi Harb.

Users can play on Zen mode to try and keep their heart rate between 56 and 70 bmp, or challenge themselves on Master mode that requires them to keep their heart rate under 70 bpm at all times to maximize their score and learn to keep calm under challenging situations.

“Ultimately the game gives users unparalleled insights into their health,” says Julie Christine Wolsak, Operations Manager at Happitech. “Users can see exactly how their thoughts, emotions, breathing and posture can influence their heart rate. From that overview they can apply it to other parts of their life at like work or during their own personal time,” she says.

Having recently received a nomination for the Indie Prize gaming award, Happitech looks to build on the support and recognition they have received over the past two years — which includes winning the Best Dutch E-Health Innovation Award in 2013 and a prize of 50K Euros in development support from Dutch information technology firm Ordina.

As digital devices continue to become an established part of our everyday lives, more developers and software companies — such as Happitech — look towards this technology for its dynamic number of applications.

“The rise of health apps and the growth of the market shows how many people feel comfortable with using their everyday devices to regulate their health, to get advice on how to live a healthier life,” explains Yosef Safi Harb. “With Skip a Beat, anyone with an iPhone and iPod touch can have access to this fun and insightful technology,” he adds.

According to ABI Research, the mobile health app market is estimated to quadruple to $400 million by 2016.

Now with its full Version 1 release after three months of Beta testing, Happitech’s Skip a Beat game — available for iPhone 4, 4s 5, 5s, 6 and 6 plus and iPod touch— is set to change the way we manage our personal health and lifestyle.

Skip a Beat: Heart Rate Game is available for $1,99 from the App Store on iPhone or iPod touch, or at http://www.appstore.com/skipabeatheartrategame 

About

Happitech provides biofeedback technologies for app and game developers that leverage everyday devices, using vital signs such as heart rate to help people better monitor their health and develop more self-awareness. Happitech supports preventive healthcare solutions. Skip a Beat is the world’s first game where you can use your heart rate as the game controller and learn to master yourself. http://www.skipabeatgame.com .

 

Happitech likes to thank Publicize for helping with the Press Release.

Videos

Skip a Beat Launch Trailer

How to Play Skip a Beat

Story of Skip a Beat  YouTube

How to Play  YouTube

Awards & Recognition

• “Best Dutch E-health Innovation” – Skip a Beat, Ordina Innovation Challenge  2013 
• “Participant Dare to Have a Dream Program” Dare to Have a Dream, 2013
• “Participant Softlayer Catalyst program” Softlayer, 2013
•  “First prize Lean Startup Machine” Lean Startup Machine Rotterdam, 2012

Inspired by presskit() by Rami Ismail (Vlambeer) – also thanks to these fine folks