Indiegogo start-up HereO is a smart GPS watch for your kids

Having a small child has the potential to turn even the calmest of individuals into a wreck of nerves as nothing is more important than their safety. In an effort to alleviate those anxieties comes an innovative product from Indiegogo start-up called ‘hereO’ – the world’s smallest GPS-tracking device. Targeted at parents who want to stay connected with younger children (the company says that hereO is ideal for ages 3-8) who are too young to get their own Smartphone; the hereO watch has been in development for the past 3 years, during which time the company have involved children in design concepts and testing to ensure that the finished article is appealing and comfortable to the age range wearing it.

Relevant: Parental Peace of Mind: The Best GPS Trackers for Kids

HereO Features

It has intended for daily wear with a comfortable and durable design; measuring 32 x 30 x 14mm so is ideally proportioned for a child’s wrist. HereO is available in a variety of child-friendly colours, and boasts a pretty neat e-link screen to display the time.  There is a Panic Alert and Tamper Alert, which will notify all family members with the child’s current location and directions from where you are.

The HereO family App

This smartwatch for kids is more than simply a GPS tracker; with the accompanying app there is also an emphasis on communication and staying connected to other caregivers in addition to your child. The hereO Family app allows you to create virtual fences around key places in your child’s daily routine (eg. nursery, school, relatives homes), which also serves to prolong the battery life as the watch will only transmit to the server (and alert parents) when the leaves the area again. And the location sharing function of the app allows you and you’re family to check-in so that you can be notified when they arrive or leave; and send messages to one another.

A “Smart” Smartwatch for kids?

There are a number of GPS trackers on the market that would allow parents to keep an eye on the whereabouts of their children, but on spec hereO looks to be the most child friendly. Paired with the clean user interface of the Android and iOS app, we can see this appealing to concerned parents. The expected retail price for the watch upon release will be higher, but is still available for $179 (and free shipping to the UK) for early bird funders on the company’s Indiegogo campaign.