Playbrush

Playbrush
Company type
Subsidiary
Industry
Founded2014 (2014)
Founders
  • Paul Varga
  • Elias Bitar
  • Matthäus Ittner
HeadquartersVienna, Austria
Area served
Worldwide
Products
  • Smart toothbrushes
  • Mobile applications
  • Dental insurance subscriptions
ParentSunstar Group (2021–present)
Websitewww.playbrush.com

Playbrush is an oral care device for children that uses a motion-sensor-based interface to control mobile games during dental hygiene. It is developed by an Austro-British company with the same name. The device controls a variety of different games with the intent to encourage children to spend a full two minutes brushing their teeth.[1]

Devices

There are two types of Playbrush devices:

  • A dongle that fits onto the end of a manual toothbrush such as the Smart
  • Integrated into an electric toothbrush such as the Smart sonic and the Smart One X

History

The technology was developed in 2014 and 2015 by Austrian entrepreneur Paul Varga. Varga observed the behaviour of his three-year-old godson during bedtime rituals while the child was entertained by video clips on their tablet. Together with childhood friend Matthäus Ittner, former fellow student Tolulope Ogunsina, and with help from the University College London, Varga began development of Playbrush in summer 2014. The device launched in November of the same year with mobile apps for Android and iOS in Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In 2018 the electric toothbrush Playbrush Smart Sonic was released.[citation needed]

Technology

Playbrush's technology consists of hardware and software.

The hardware component of Playbrush is an Internet of Things technology that can be integrated into either a manual toothbrush dongle or an electric toothbrush. Equipped with motion sensors, it is able to detect where users are brushing and provide real-time feedback on their brushing behaviour. The captured motion data is then transmitted via Bluetooth Low Energy to the user's smartphone or tablet.

Playbrush's app is designed to translate the brushing data into various interactive games that children can control through their brushing movements. As of summer 2018, there were eleven games available for download on Google Play and the Apple App Store in addition to a brushing coach. The app also includes a detailed statistics section, which provides historical feedback for parents and dentists to track progress.

Awards

The technology and company has received various awards:

  • UCL Bright Ideas Award 2014[2]
  • TNW Europe Top 3 Startup - 2015[3]
  • Best Technological Innovative Contribution Award (Gamification World Awards 2015)[4][5]
  • Health Media Award 2016[6]
  • Pitch@Palace Finalist 2016[7]
  • Forbes Austria Start-up Academy 2016[8]
  • Bits & Pretzels Pro 7 Special Award (250.000 TV Budget Price) 2017[3]

References

  1. ^ "Smart toothbrush to make brushing fun for kids". British Dental Journal. 225 (5): 454–454. 2018-09-01. doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2018.790. ISSN 1476-5373.
  2. ^ "UCL Bright Ideas Award 2014: Playbrush". UCL MediaCentral. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  3. ^ a b Ayoola (2021-06-07). "Six Nigerian-led Startups Receive $100k From Google's $2m Black Founders Fund". TechBooky. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  4. ^ "Gamification World Awards 2015 Winners". Serious Games Industry. 2015-12-02. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  5. ^ Gómez, Belén. "Gamification World Congress 2015 Awards -On Serious Games". www.onseriousgames.com. Archived from the original on 2026-02-19. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  6. ^ "Preisträger - Health Media Award". Health Media Award (in German). Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  7. ^ "Playbrush Pitch to the audience, Pitch@Palace 5.0. - The Duke of York". thedukeofyork.org. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  8. ^ "Playbrush entscheidet Forbes Start-up Late Night für sich". www.leadersnet.at (in German). Retrieved 2018-09-10.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.