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Nordic-powered wearable delivers thermal sensations for relief from temperature discomfort and health conditions
08
Sep
2025
2025
Oslo, Norway
Embr Labs’ Wave 2 leverages Nordic nRF52832 SoC to run temperature sensors and activate warming or cooling mode selections via Bluetooth LE connectivity
Boston, U.S.-based Embr Labs has released a wearable solution designed to provide relief from temperature-related discomfort, such as the hot flashes often experienced by women during menopause and people undergoing breast and prostate cancer treatments. The wrist-worn ‘Embr Wave 2’ device works by delivering controlled thermal sensations in wave patterns on the sensitive area of the inner wrist.
“Wave 2 essentially functions as a personal thermostat,” explains Jack O’Gorman, Director of Manufacturing at Embr Labs. “By providing warming or cooling sensations it stimulates the body’s thermoreceptors – nerve endings that communicate with the brain and influence how we perceive temperatures. This not only helps users feel warmer or cooler, but also engages the autonomic nervous system to promote relaxation, improve sleep quality, and reduce stress.”
Arm Cortex M4 processor supervises multiple sensors
The Wave 2 is powered by Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52832 SoC. It employs the nRF52832’s powerful 64 MHz, Arm® Cortex® M4 processor with floating point unit (FPU) to supervise the multiple high-resolution temperature sensors integrated in the wearable, ensuring safe and reliable performance across a range of environments. The Nordic SoC also runs the custom firmware, manages key safety features, and communicates with other components via I2C and GPIO interfaces to confirm that the device is operating as intended.
Nordic provides excellent support for developers, and the company’s reputation as a leading provider of Bluetooth LE solutions made working with Nordic an obvious choice
Jack O’Gorman, Director of Manufacturing at Embr Labs
Reliable Bluetooth LE connectivity
As well as acting as the ‘brain’ for Wave 2, the nRF52832 provides the Bluetooth® LE wireless connectivity enabling configuration and control of the wearable from the user’s iOS/Android smartphone via the associated app. This allows users to select from a range of 30+ customizable modes, each with its own duration and intensity level, before activating the desired warming or cooling sensations. Wearers can also select from the various sleep-focused routines to help regulate thermal comfort and promote higher-quality sleep. In addition, the Bluetooth LE connectivity enables usage data to be reliably transmitted from device to smartphone so the user can track their progress over time through the companion app.
While Wave 2 uses a custom 3.8 V, 580 mAh battery to operate for at least nine hours before recharge, under certain usage conditions it is possible to extend the battery life to approximately 100 hours – depending on the frequency, duration, and intensity of the thermal sessions. This longevity is achieved thanks in part to the ultra low power characteristics of the nRF52832 SoC.
“We chose the Nordic nRF52832 for our Wave 2 device primarily for the SoC’s powerful processor, which plays a key role in managing the system and supporting our application,” says Zachary Deshaux, Principal Software Engineer at Embr Labs. “The SoC also offers a cost-effective solution with strong Bluetooth LE performance.
“In addition, Nordic provides excellent support for developers, and the company’s reputation as a leading provider of Bluetooth LE solutions made working with Nordic an obvious choice.”
