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Joseph Proffer
Guest
In the medical world, the ears can provide an abundance of information. Temperature, pulse, and oxygen saturation are just a few example biometrics that can be obtained from the ears.
In the always-connected digital era, we’ve seen the ears utilized for listening to music or as a means to talk on our smartphones. Originally our headsets were large and cumbersome, but over time they shrank down to something no larger than a standard earbud, making use of the vibrations in our jaw bones to transmit our speech.
Discrete, already socially accepted, and commonplace, earbuds and headphones are fixing to take the next step in their natural evolution in our smart-device world, especially when considering the wealth of data our auditory anatomy can provide. So where are we going?
It can be said that hearables were inevitable, once batteries and their charge could accommodate such a small, confined space. Advances in battery technology and the low-energy Bluetooth 4.0 have arrived and it has opened the door for all sorts of new and exciting gadgetry.
Back in September 2014, Motorola released the Moto Hint. It was an interesting bit of tech, showing how small and sleek earpieces could be, but the phase of having a Bluetooth earpiece for talking on your phone has, to a degree, passed. Coupled with the very voice-friendly Moto X, the Hint makes a little bit of sense, but outside of that? Not so much.
During CES 2015, one entrant in particular made its way into the world of hearables. It was Dash by Bragi, a new type of wireless earbud that takes the best of all tech domains and packages it into a nice, ear-canal sized object. The little earbuds were impressive enough to be awarded Best in Innovation during the trade show.
The range of features that Dash offers is immense. Besides the obvious (it wirelessly transmits sound into your skull and you can talk on your phone with them), Dash has a 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer, which is what many smartphones come with so you can imagine that it can deliver similar information that your phone does.
Dash also has an embedded 4GB flash drive, which Bragi claims will allow the uploading of around 1,000 songs. This translates to the idea that even without a paired smartphone, you can still jam out with the earbuds alone.
Tracking is another big feature that Bragi is bringing to the table with Dash. Dash will measure body vitals via two LEDs emitting low intensity red and infrared light into your skin. The results will include heart rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature. With the aforementioned accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers, the device will use sensor fusion to give you a hefty amount of data relating to speed, distance, pace, steps, calories burned, and more.
So how is all of this controlled on your earbuds if you don’t have your phone with you? Dash’s outer surface houses a high-resolution optical touch sensor, of course. So swipes, taps, etc., are all recognized gestures. Bragi states that this touch sensor will also pick up gestures while wet or while wearing gloves.
Wait, did I say “wet”? What would wireless earbuds of the future be without being waterproof? So yes, you can wear them swimming and, according to Bragi’s Dash promotional video, surfing. Though, to be honest, I’ve been hit by a few waves in the side of the head and I don’t think I’d recommend wearing cordless earbuds in the ocean unless said earbuds only cost like $5. Bragi does offer a leash for your Dash so maybe that would work out, but I think I’d still be too scared to try it.
Click here to view the embedded video.Dash will come in white or black models. Bragi intends on releasing an accompanying app for your Android device when the product hits the shelves. You can pre-order a Dash package for $300 USD by clicking here.
Source: The Verge, Bragi
Come comment on this article: Dash kicks off the Hearables market, a new frontier in the wearable industry
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