• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Can Elmo Diagnose Your Kid’s Illness?

By
Leena Rao
Leena Rao
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Leena Rao
Leena Rao
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 20, 2016, 6:00 AM ET

Taking the temperature of a sick and fussy toddler is a no small feat. Kinsa, a startup that has developed an FDA-approved smart thermometer, is not only hoping that Elmo will help parents accurately take their child’s temperature, but also potentially diagnose the illness as well.

On Wednesday, Kinsa debuted the Elmo Smart Thermometer, a small Elmo character-branded device that takes the temperature of a child, and can give advice—via an accompanying app—on what could be ailing the little patient.

While most traditional ear thermometers appear sterile looking, Kinsa’s red, Elmo-themed device aims to put little ones at ease by having the Sesame Street character say something after the parent sticks the thermometer into the child’s ear canal. Like most digital thermometers, the device has a backlit screen that displays the temperature of the child. But the “smart” part of Kinsa’s thermometer is its accompanying app, which tracks ongoing temperatures for each child, lets parents add in symptoms, and even provides suggested diagnosis for what’s wrong.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

After the temperature reading, parents can select symptoms and Elmo will act out each. For instance, if you select “cough,” Elmo will make the noise of a cough and say, “Excuse Elmo.” If you tap fatigue as a symptom, Elmo says “Ahh, tired.”

The app also includes a feature called Groups, which allows parents to invite other parents from their kids school or daycare to share in the app what symptoms or illnesses their kids are experiencing. Some parents already get these alerts from their schools, but for others, the information could be useful if enough families participate.

Kinsa’s thermometer isn’t cheap, retailing at $59.99 on the startup’s site, Amazon.com, and in the baby section of Target stores. Most digital thermometers retail for under $20.

Google Wants to Make Sure You’re Staying Healthy

In order to include Elmo in its product, Kinsa signed a licensing agreement with Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind the hit children’s educational show and owner to the rights of the show’s characters. According to Kinsa, this is the first internet-connected product Sesame Street has issued licensing rights to.

Sesame Workshop announced earlier this year that it would start making investments in startups focused on using technology to help children’s education, health, nutrition, and development through a new venture arm called Sesame Ventures. However, Kinsa said that Sesame Ventures has not invested in the company, whose backers include Kleiner Perkins and IA Ventures.

About the Author
By Leena Rao
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

broker
CommentarySoftware
The 3 forces quietly dismantling the business model that made enterprise software fabulously profitable
By Michael Jacobides and Stefano PuntoniApril 17, 2026
45 minutes ago
Exclusive: Senator presses DOJ and Treasury over status of Binance monitors after $1.7 billion in Iran-linked crypto flows
CryptoIran
Exclusive: Senator presses DOJ and Treasury over status of Binance monitors after $1.7 billion in Iran-linked crypto flows
By Ben WeissApril 17, 2026
2 hours ago
The world holds its breath: Trump says Iran war will end ‘pretty soon’ as uranium deal is in sight
EconomyMarkets
The world holds its breath: Trump says Iran war will end ‘pretty soon’ as uranium deal is in sight
By Jim EdwardsApril 17, 2026
3 hours ago
The startup Blackstone just backed to turn any exec’s data question into instant answers
NewslettersTerm Sheet
The startup Blackstone just backed to turn any exec’s data question into instant answers
By Allie GarfinkleApril 17, 2026
4 hours ago
Netflix cofounder and chairman Reed Hastings on July 10, 2025 in Sun Valley, Idaho. (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
End of an era: Reed Hastings steps down from Netflix
By Andrew NuscaApril 17, 2026
4 hours ago
A secretive tycoon known as the ‘French Murdoch’ holds the key to Bill Ackman’s $64 billion bid for Universal Music Group
Personal FinanceInvestment
A secretive tycoon known as the ‘French Murdoch’ holds the key to Bill Ackman’s $64 billion bid for Universal Music Group
By Amanda GerutApril 17, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
Environment
Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
By Sydney LakeApril 15, 2026
2 days ago
A world going broke: IMF says America's $39 trillion national debt is actually a global problem—and AI may be the only rescue
Economy
A world going broke: IMF says America's $39 trillion national debt is actually a global problem—and AI may be the only rescue
By Nick LichtenbergApril 16, 2026
17 hours ago
Germany already told its workers to ditch four-day weeks and work-life balance. Now the government wants to cut their pay for calling in sick, too
Success
Germany already told its workers to ditch four-day weeks and work-life balance. Now the government wants to cut their pay for calling in sick, too
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 16, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott is bypassing the Ivy League and rewriting the $79 billion higher ed playbook by giving to HBCUs and community colleges
Politics
MacKenzie Scott is bypassing the Ivy League and rewriting the $79 billion higher ed playbook by giving to HBCUs and community colleges
By Sydney LakeApril 16, 2026
22 hours ago
Current price of oil as of April 16, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerApril 16, 2026
1 day ago
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani points at Ken Griffin's $238 million penthouse on Tax Day: 'Today we're taxing the rich'
Personal Finance
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani points at Ken Griffin's $238 million penthouse on Tax Day: 'Today we're taxing the rich'
By Catherina GioinoApril 16, 2026
17 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.