Amy Norcross
EDN
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd has announced the development of what it calls a “compact and lightweight wearable ring-type device that offers handwriting-input functionality and a reader for near-field communications (NFC) tags.”
Designed to be worn on the index finger, the ring includes motion sensors (an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetic sensor) for text input, an NFC tag reader, and wireless communication functionality and is able to identify the movements users make with their fingertips as they write in the air. To begin air-writing, the wearer uses his or her thumb to press an operation button, which allows operation with just one hand.
It incorporates some aspects of a glove-style wearable device the company developed in 2014 but compresses the functionality into an instrument that weighs less than 10 grams and is worn on a single finger. Power-saving technology enables the use of a button-cell battery.
Fujitsu-developed technology corrects letterform tracings, improving the accuracy of character recognition, including numbers and Chinese characters, to about 95%. The built-in NFC tag reader allows users to get documentation and instructions for working on a device with the tap of a finger.
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| The Fujitsu Laboratories technology automatically recognizes unwanted connections between the strokes of a letterform that result from a longhand trace, and corrects the data accordingly. This correction improves legibility and text-recognition rates. |
“With modern advances in the miniaturization of smart devices, communications technology, and cloud environments, there is interest in using HMDs [head-mounted devices] and other wearable devices for maintenance and other tasks in factories and buildings where ICT [information and communications technology] can be put to use to free up hands for operations,” said Fujitsu officials in a statement. “Because operators do not need to hold devices in their hands to receive information in the field, there are especially high expectations for the use of such wearable devices in fieldwork for which operators need use of their hands at all times.”
Fujitsu indicated its device is aimed more for use in the working world than the home. The company is conducting “real-world tests” now, with a goal of practical implementation during FY2015. Information on pricing was not provided.
Fujitsu is not alone in its quest to develop finger-sized wearable tech: Logbar Inc, a 2013 start-up that has development bases in San Francisco and Tokyo, raised close to $900,000 as part of a 2014 Kickstarter campaign for its Ring, a “wearable input device” designed to enable users to text, control home appliances, and even complete payment transactions. Unlike Fujitsu’s device, the Ring is intended for consumer use.
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| The Logbar’s Ring. |
