Monitoring usage of a hair cutting device

1 . A computer-implemented method for monitoring usage of a cutting element of a hair cutting device, the cutting element having one or more blades, the method comprising steps of:

receiving pressure data from a pressure sensor configured to measure, at intervals during a cutting event, a pressure applied by the cutting element of the hair cutting device on a surface of a subject's skin;

storing the pressure data received in the receiving step in a storage device;

receiving, at intervals during the cutting event, electrical current data indicative of an electrical current across a motor that drives the cutting element of the hair cutting device:

applying a low-pass filter to the electrical current data received in the receiving step, to define a low-pass-filtered electrical current data;

determining, by a processor, based on a summation or numerical integration of the pressure data stored in the storage device relating to the cutting event and the pressure data stored in the storage device relating to the one or more previous cutting events, a total pressure applied by the cutting element to the surface since a defined start point; and

estimating, by the processor, a level of wear of the cutting element based on the total pressure and further based on the low-pass-filtered electrical current data; and

providing, by the processor, an indication of the estimated level of wear for presentation to a recipient.

2 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

responsive to determining that the estimated level of wear meets a defined threshold condition, generating, by the processor, an alert signal for delivery to the recipient.

3 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the processor and based on the pressure data stored in the storage device in relation to the cutting event and on the pressure data stored in the storage device in relation to one or more previous cutting events, a total duration that the cutting element has been used during cutting events;

wherein estimating the level of wear of the cutting element is further based on the determined total duration.

4 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting element has an effective life, and wherein estimating the level of wear of the cutting element comprises determining a probability that the cutting element is worn beyond the effective life.

5 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer-readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer-readable code being configured such that, on execution by a suitable computer or processor, the computer or processor is caused to perform the method of claim 1 .

6 . A hair cutting device comprising:

a cutting element having one or more blades configured to cut hairs extending from a surface of a subject;

a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure applied by the cutting element on the surface of the subject's skin during a hair cutting event;

a motor configured to drive the cutting element;

a current measurement unit configured to measure an electrical current across the motor; and

a processor configured to:

receive pressure data from the pressure sensor;

store the pressure data in a storage device;

receive, at intervals during the cutting event, electrical current data from the current measurement unit;

apply a low-pass filter to the electrical current data received in the receiving step, to define a low-pass-filtered electrical current data;

determine, based on a summation or numerical integration of the pressure data stored in the storage device relating to the cutting event and the pressure data stored in the storage device relating to the one or more previous cutting events, a total pressure applied by the cutting element to the surface since a defined start point;

estimate a level of wear of the cutting element based on the total pressure and further based on the low-pass-filtered electrical current data and

provide an indication of the estimated level of wear for presentation to a recipient.

7 . The hair cutting device according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, based on the pressure data stored in the storage device in relation to the cutting event and on the pressure data stored in the storage device in relation to one or more previous cutting events, a total duration that the cutting element has been used during cutting events; and

estimate the level of wear of the cutting element is-further based on the determined total duration.

8 . The hair cutting device according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a communication unit;

wherein the processor is further configured to provide data indicative of the measured pressure, and

wherein the communication unit is configured to transmit the data indicative of the measured pressure to a remote storage device device located remotely with respect to the hair cutting device.

9 . The hair cutting device according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a filter component configured to filter the pressure data prior to the processor estimating the level of wear.