In the previous post, we expanded on the importance of sensor fusion, and expanded on types of sensors used in different devices. In this final blog post, we will present our case for why wearable, touchless and hands free are XR's MVP, and introduce the Mudra Band – an innovative aftermarket wearable input wristband that let's you touchlessly control devices.
The neural input market holds great promise for Extended Reality (XR). Like any new market, it needs a clear definition of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to keep things simple and highlight real value.
Device types and interaction methods
As wearable tech becomes common, we'll use face-worn devices for immersive XR experiences. Good interaction demands features like point-and-click and drag-and-drop, making spatial input natural and intuitive. This can extend to more devices like Smart TVs, computers, and mobiles, indoors or outdoors. Seamless transitions between devices are key for a smooth immersive experience in XR and ambient computing.
The Mudra Band is an aftermarket wearable that enables users to operate Apple products across their entire ecosystem using intuitive finger movements and gestures without the need for external physical touch. It supports point and click, drag and drop, and seamless switching between connected devices like iPhone, iPad, Mac computer, Apple TV, smart glasses, and mobile gaming devices.
The Mudra Band's functionality has undergone extensive testing and approval by a global community of Apple enthusiasts. The Mudra technology offers an AI-powered touchless sensing wearable that can be used with any Bluetooth connected device and operating system.
The gestures supported by Mudra technology can be tailored to specific use-cases and easily integrated into existing wrist wearables, smartwatches, AR glasses, VR headsets, and other connected electronic devices. It supports discrete gestures (such as single finger movement or soft tapping), continuous gestures (applying different pressures to manipulate digital objects), and air-touch gestures like slide-to unlock (combining discrete and continuous gestures with hand and forearm movements).
With its customizable gestures and immersive input experience, the Mudra Band aims to shape the input landscape for extended reality, providing an intuitive and natural way to control and interact with devices.
In our white paper, and throughout these blog posts, we've talked about the important need for a neural input interface that's accurate and comfortable for how we interact with computers. We explained the main things that affect the design and performance of wristbands that use neural signals.
To make things easy and natural, we suggested a wristband design that can go with a smartwatch. This design should be comfortable, tough, and stylish, especially because the wrist is an important place. We think this wristband design works well for extended reality experiences, like using smart glasses.
When it comes to using smart glasses, we face a challenge. We want to predict what users want to do accurately, but we don't want to make the product too big or awkward. Problems like strange movements and differences in how people's bodies are can make the system less accurate and make it hard to use. Therefore, we need to make sure that the wristband design can handle different situations and still be easy to use.
As we look at different ways to make neural input work, we need to carefully think about how the design and how it works. Finding the right balance between making it easy to use and getting things right can be tricky. Our goal is to create a future where using technology feels as simple and natural as moving your hand.
To learn more, feel free to read out full whitepaper titled "Designing a Neural Input Wristband for XR Experiences"
*All figures shown in this blog are taken from our white paper, available for download here.