Have you ever wanted to feel like a secret agent? Maybe you wanted a spy ring that could control technology. Now you can live out that dream thanks to the Orii Smart Ring. After two years, the long-awaited smart ring is finally available for purchase.
The Orii first debuted on Kickstarter back in 2017 with a goal of $30,000. It raised 11 times that original amount, racking up a whopping $333,619 from 2,082 backers. The Orii was originally intended to be a faster way to check messages and to untether people from their mobile devices, but the functionality has since evolved to include much more than that, including the ability to turn smart lights on and off.
The Orii Smart Ring works by utilizing bone conduction technology. You might have heard of headphones that operate on the same basis. Bone conduction headphones work by directly vibrating the bones of the ear and bypassing the outer and middle ears, meaning the sound cannot be heard by anyone except the wearer. In theory, the Orii Smart Ring works on the same principle, but passes sound through the finger bone.
If you’ve ever felt like voice control was too slow or clunky, the Orii makes it so all you need is a quick gesture of your finger to turn the lights off. According to Wareable, this is possible due to IFTTT integration with the Orii Smart Ring. There is also a built-in microphone that allows you to control other devices with a whisper.
All of this functionality is dependent on built-in motion sensors, a feature that is not yet available but is expected to release in the coming months. The original version of the Orii without motion controls, but with a built-in microphone and bone conduction technology, is now available to purchase for $199.
The creators of the Orii Smart Ring hope to reduce the amount of time people spend on their screens. Many companies have tried gesture controls in the past (like Microsoft with the Xbox Kinect), but most have fallen short of their full potential. The Orii Smart Ring has the opportunity to make gesture controls useful and accessible in a way they’ve never been before.
