We’ve already seen smart rings with NFC rings that can be used for authentication and share small amount of data (e.g. business card data) with smartphones. Fin is a completely different type of smart ring that fits onto your thumb, and let you control Bluetooth enabled devices by tapping different phalanges on your fingers, and/or the palm of your hand.
Here are some of Fin smart ring specifications:
- MCU – N/A
- Connectivity – Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, and 4.0
- Sensors – No details, but Fin can track accurate movement of your thumb on the palm and detect each phalanx of your finger where you are touching.
- IP Rating – IP67 (Dust and Waterproof)
- Battery – Li Po custom battery with micro-USB charging dock ; One charge will last for 1 week; more than one year durable.
- Misc – LED indicator
The ring will work with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Windows Phones.
RHL Vision Technologies, the Indian start-up behind the project, lists the key differentiating features as follows:
- Three different devices support with a single fin
- Recognize each phalanx of fingers
- Acts as security authemnticator
- Gesture interaction on palm
- Fashionable
- Water-proof, dust-proof and durable.
Another advantage is that you can rest your arm on the table while using Fin, which won’t lead to tiredness associate with products such as Leap Motion, although it should certainly less flexible and accurate.
They’ve showed some demos such as answering the phone with a tap of a finger, adjusting the volume of your car radio without removing from the steering wheel, using your hand to play shooting games, controlling a VR headset, and so on.
Development is advanced but not quite finished with product development expected to complete in April, and software development in May, before starting delivering products in July. The company is looking for funds to complete development and start manufacturing via Indiegogo. At this time, they’ve received pledge for about $80,000 out of their $100,000 target, but since it is a flexible funding campaign, they’ll receive the funds whether they reach their target or not and mass production should go ahead. You can pledge $79 to receive an early developer sample with support for 5 gestures by June 2014, and $99 to get the final version in September 2014. Shipping is $10 to the US and Asia, and $20 elsewhere. The official website is finrobotics.com, but there’s not much more info than on the Indiegogo page.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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They mention setting volume and switching radio stations with this device, but this could only work if the car/car radio supported external wireless controls. I’m not expert is these matters but I haven’t seen/heard of cars that are set up to support external inputs. They also mention touching other fingers or swiping gestures, I could see this working to a limited extent with an accelerometer but I would think the system would get the gestures right as much as wrong. This doesn’t seem realistic to me, there have been a number of these crowd funding projects that promise miracles and then disappear and I fear this might be one of those.
@Joe
There are car radios with Bluetooth support, that you can control with an App on your smartphone, so they must have been able to do something similar with their ring – http://www.amazon.com/Sony-WXGT90BT-Bluetooth-Receiver-Pandora/dp/B00B74Z67K
They haven’t exactly mentioned the sensors they use. The project’s development is not complete, and it’s true the product may not end up as good as advertised.
interesting
Looks like people really like smart rings… Another one has just started a few days ago, and has gathered over 300,000 USD.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1761670738/ring-shortcut-everything
Frankly, after the LiFX desaster, I am less than convinced I want to preorder any more expensive gadgets
And Leap must be about the most impressive while simultaneously totally useless gadget I have around here. And I do have PLENTY.
@Someone from the other side
LiFX looks nice. Was there any issues, apart from the massive delay?
@cnxsoft
Yeah I was a LIFX backer, massive delays many many months of waiting, the initial software didn’t have any music visualization as promised, when the app update did arrive – the visualization was nothing more than random colours playing – it really doesn’t work, and the bulbs when they arrived were too huge.. they wouldn’t fit in any of my enclosed light fittings. and in the open fittings it looked disastrous, I had to take them out and replace them with the smaller LimitlessLED wireless bulbs instead. I too am not pre-ordering ever again. the products are always for sale afterwards anyway, and you can read real reviews and videos then.