Here’s something from the home front: Hong Kong-based start-up Origami Labs, a maker of connected devices, launched the world’s first voice-powered smart ring. As if smartwatch technology wasn’t enough, the ORII takes things further by removing the crystal altogether for a “screen-free future”.
Launched on Kickstarter last year, this innovative device puts your phone’s voice assistant at your fingertip. Users can send messages, take calls and handle everyday tasks by simply touching their ear and speaking. Bone conduction technology – used to transmit sound – is the revolutionary idea behind the ORII. Bluetooth also plays a role in transmitting vibrations from the smartphone to one’s finger bone and finally into the ear, allowing users to speak and hear through their finger.
Four Hong Kong-born university friends founded the project, jumping into a wearable technology market that is forecasted to hit US$34 billion by 2020. “Our inspiration came from my dad, who has been visually impaired from a young age,” says Origami Labs CEO Kevin Johan Wong. “He set out to develop voice and text-based technology to help others like him.”
Employing the same technology used in hearing aids, ORII is said to be the next step in voice interface hardware, marking a shift from screen and text-based technology to more voice-activated channels of communication. The ultimate goal is to make people more productive by seamlessly integrating virtual assistants.
Images: ORII