THIS GADGET ANALYSES SKIN TONES FOR PERSONALISED SUN SAFETY

To manage our exposure to the sun can be a delicate balancing act. Too little and you deprive your body of all-important vitamin D, too much and you invite health risks that include skin damage and skin cancer at worst. The is where QSun comes in, it is a clever tracker that's designed to remove the guesswork by keeping tabs on sun exposure, even giving users a buzz when it is time to move to the shade.

QSun promises to take things further, by analysing the user's skin type and their environmental situation to offer personalised sun safety advice. This is done through the companion smartphone app, which analyses skin tones through the device's camera and image processing software. It then offers personalised sunscreen advice based on your size and the clothes you wear. The app also suggests how much sunscreen to apply first up and alerting you when it is time to apply again.

The device measures one inch in diameter and can be clipped onto your hat, clothes or anything else that is facing the sun. When you shake it twice it will turn on and checks the UV intensity, another shake lets it know you have applied sunscreen. The device vibrates and its LEDs light up when you are about to get sunburned and its time to head for the shade if you have your phone with you, you will also receive a notification.

The QSun tracker is powered by a coin cell battery that should be good for six weeks use, and syncs with smartphones over Bluetooth LE. You can check out the Kickstarter campaign here and learn more about QSun.