The Internet of Things is something into which I delve deeply in my technology copy-writer side hustle life, so imagine my surprise when it showed up in my blog inbox. Kérastase Paris is introducing a smart hairbrush called the  Kérastase Hair Coach Powered by Withings, created in partnership with the leader in connected health, Withings. The brush is a recipient of this year’s International CES Innovation Award.

In collaboration with L’Oréal’s Research and Innovation Technology Incubator, the brush features Withings’ advanced sensors and product, design along with L’Oréal’s patent-pending signal analysis algorithms work to score the quality of hair and monitor the effects of different hair care routines.

The brush utilizes multiple sensors to provide information on the quality of hair and brushing patterns:

• A microphone that listens to the sound of hair brushing to identify patterns, providing insights into manageability, frizziness, dryness, split ends and breakage.
• 3-axis load cells that measure the force applied to the hair and the scalp when brushing.
• An accelerometer and a gyroscope which further analyze brushing patterns and count brush strokes, with haptic feedback signaling if brushing is too vigorous. Cue Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.
• Conductivity sensors to determine if the brush is being used on dry or wet hair in order to provide an accurate hair measurement. The brush itself is splash proof.

The sensors feed data automatically to a dedicated mobile app, which then takes into account weather factors like humidity, temperature, UV and wind, which also impact hair’s manageability and quality. The brush in turn provides a hair quality score, data on the effectiveness of brushing habits, personalized tips and Kérastase product recommendations.

Retailing for under $200, the brush will be available mid-2017 at Kérastase hair salons and the kerastase-usa.com, and through Withings’ online sales and distribution channels.