Pittsburgh-Based Company Develops Wearable Technology That Regulates Mood

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It's not an Apple Watch or a Fitbit. It's called 'Apollo' and it does more than just keep track of your heart rate and your steps.

"Apollo harnesses your natural response to your sense of touch in order to help you regulate how you feel," said CEO and Co-Founder of Apollo Neuroscience Kathryn Fantauzzi.

Kathryn Fantauzzi and her husband Dr. David Rabin are co-founders of Apollo Neuroscience, a Pittsburgh-based company that makes the Apollo product.

The company was founded in late 2017, and a lot of its research was done at the University of Pittsburgh. The couple now splits time between Pittsburgh and the San Francisco area. They wanted to find a better way to reduce stress.

"Rather than like a pharmaceutical which may create a chemical change, what Apollo is doing is simply using your body's own natural ability to regulate itself and just stimulating that," said Fantauzzi.

So how does it work?

Apollo is worn on your wrist or ankle and is paired with an app on your phone. You can select from seven different options like Energy and Wake Up, Clear and Focused and even Social and Open.

"If I have a hard time going to sleep, I put this on, you can tune it to 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes," said Fantauzzi.

Dr. Joseph Maroon is a neurosurgeon who has worked with the Steelers for decades. Once you select an option on the app, the device sends different frequencies throughout your body, activating your nervous system.

"So basically, what Dr. Rabin and his engineers have come up with is a device that can increase your heart rate variability," said Dr. Maroon.

Dr. Maroon said he's recommended Apollo to some of his patients who suffer from severe anxiety and depression. He said the device may help with chronic pain in the future.

The couple said they've sold thousands of units on pre-order. Apollo costs $349. It can be purchased here.