Mirror can spot signs of disease

Who’s the fairest of them all? Staring in the mirror in the morning may be about to get a whole lot more depressing, as an Italian research team launches the first prototype of a smart mirror equipped with sensors that will give you the once-over for more than cosmetic purposes.

Research into a smart device called the ‘Wize Mirror’ is being funded by the EU. It could play a vital role in getting people to change their habits and prevent disease — but how safe is a mirror in our bathroom that connects to the internet and stores our information?

Designed for use in public areas such as workplaces and schools, as well as for personal use in the home, the device will be able to track changes to your health by monitoring parameters such as cholesterol deposits in the skin, heart rate, and oxygen levels. Giuseppe Coppini, scientific technical co-ordinator for the project, says cutting-edge technologies are being developed by the team.

“We are measuring cholesterol deposits in the skin without contact with the skin; that’s very challenging and complex,” said Dr Coppini. “We are developing new methods for sensing glycated proteins in the skin that can indicate high blood glucose levels.”

However, after numerous reports of how easily hackable Google Glass is, a mirror that records personal data, contains facial recognition software, has web connectivity, and even allows you to share your health status via social media, may sound like a dystopian step too far.