14 DAY TRIAL // When people say “ring,” it can mean anything depending on the context, from mechanical parts to jewelry, but the meaning rendered by the latest invention from RHL Vision is different.
Granted, it's still jewelry, sort of, at least peripherally related to the concept, but it's not worn the way rings normally are.
Which is to say, the ring is not worn on the ring finger or even the middle finger. Instead, it's a thumb piece, and it's not there for decoration at all.
Rather, it allows wearers to use their other fingers as if they were buttons. An optical sensor is integrated into the ring itself, which is called the Fin, and it can detect direct swipes and taps.
Gestures are sent to a connected device to be interpreted. Said connected device can be a TV, a PC, a smartphone, or something else.
Bluetooth technology establishes and maintains the wireless link between the two consumer electronics.
The Fin has been posted on Indiegogo, where you can go and pledge your financial support if you want to help the idea become reality.
In its current iteration, the Fin allows you to control music volume (by swiping your thumb down for example), jump tracks in a playlist (swipe the thumb across the palm of the opposite hand), etc.
In future versions, the Fin will be able to do more things thanks to integration of a biometric sensor. Also, flexible circuitry will be used, for a smaller design instead of the rather unruly one pictured here (this is supposed to be a ring after all, not a wrist attachment).
Then again, when you have to use off-the-shelf sensors and traditional PCBs to get your idea off the ground, lack of grace is expected in the beginning. As a proof-of-concept, the Fin does what it was supposed to do.
