Comcast is working on a home health device similar to Amazon Echo

Comcast is working on a home device to monitor people's health and intends to start testing it as a test later this year.

A team led by Sumit Nagpal, executive vice president and general manager of health innovation at Comcast, who previously worked for Accenture, has been working on the device for over a year, according to two people a direct knowledge. Nagpal joined Comcast in February this year, according to LinkedIn, to put in place a strategy and team to commercialize the new health equipment.

These people asked not to be named because they were not allowed to speak on behalf of Comcast and Comcast declined to comment. (Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC.)

The device will monitor people's basic health measures with the help of ambient sensors, focusing on the fact that someone frequently goes to the toilet or spends more time than ever before. bed habit. Comcast is also creating tools to detect falls, which are common and potentially life threatening for seniors, people said.

Comcast plans to offer the device and services associated with people at risk, including seniors and people with disabilities, but the schedule, pricing and deployment plan have not been finalized. It will begin experimenting with pilots, which are not limited to Comcast's customers, by the end of 2019, with a potential commercial release in 2020.

Unlike most home speakers, the device will not position itself as a communication tool or wizard, and will not be able to do such searches as the web or turn on or off. To turn off lights. But he will have a personality like Alexa and he will be able to make emergency phone calls in the event of a health event, people said.

The device would be a first for Comcast in the health field, but it already offers hardware and services focused on home security and automation. Comcast has experience in voice with a remote that responds to commands, which people primarily use to search for TV shows and movies. The company began exploring opportunities in the health sector a few years ago and last year entered into a partnership with the insurer Independence Health Group, initially focused on the group's employees.

This transaction would put Comcast in competition with a number of technology companies, including Google, Amazon and Apple, who also explored ways to help older people "age at home" or live independently for as long as possible . Google plans to use its Nest devices and Google Home in retirement homes, Apple has added fall detection and cardiovascular health monitoring to its smartwatch, and Amazon has been exploring technology opportunities for the aging population for several years .

Comcast could also have an edge over this population because of its access to the home via its cable and broadband business, which involves technicians showing up at home for installation and upgrade. In theory, technicians could install the device during these visits.

In addition to developing new materials, Comcast has been speaking with several major hospitals, including Rush, in Chicago, said a person familiar with the conversation. Discussions with Comcast focused on using the device to ensure that patients do not end up in hospital after discharge. The federal government is increasingly penalizing hospitals for failing to ensure that patients do not end up in emergency rooms. They are looking for tools to monitor their patients remotely.

Disclosure: Comcast owns NBCUniversal, CNBC's parent company.

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