Wearable trends at CES 2024
The latest developments in wearable and hearable technologies were much in evidence at CES in 2024.
New wearable technologies at CES 2024 include an operating system that allows different audio technologies to be added to earphones as an app, and the world’s smallest MEMS-based accelerometer with AI that changes the way such systems are controlled.
UK startup Earswitch was showing technology developed at the University of Bath to help people with disabilities communicate, is showcasing a new product at CES, the world’s biggest technology show.
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The company, set up to help people with disabilities including motor neurone disease (MND, also known as ALS) to communicate, showed its new EarControl assistive technology at the show.
This uses a built-in sensor to detect movements of a tiny muscle known as the tensor tympani in the ear, allowing users to operate an assistive keyboard. An assistive screen scans letters and words which users can select by tensing the ear muscle.
It’s believed that with degenerative conditions such as MND, control of the tensor tympani muscle is preserved for longer than other muscles, and so the team hope the technology can support users for longer.
EarControl allows people who cannot use traditional input devices, such as a mouse or keyboard, to interact with a computer by acting as a 3D ‘ear mouse’. Earbuds that track a user’s focus and selects an icon from the screen of a linked device with an ear click. The technology works because the tensor tympani moves the ear drums as eyes move.
In addition to harnessing the muscle to help people with neurological conditions, the team also believe applications could extend to ear controls for mobile phones, or for gaming.
“The collaboration with University of Bath continues to be pivotal in the advancement of EarSwitch to improve communication for people with conditions such as MND,” said Dr Nick Gompertz, founder of EarSwitch.
“The importance of this opportunity has been recognised by the Scott-Morgan Foundation (SMF) with whom we will be demonstrating EarControl as part of a collaborative of assistive technologies at CES. We are working with SMF to give everyone the Right to Thrive.”
Dr Ben Metcalfe, Deputy Director of the Bath Institute for the Augmented Human, says: “We are delighted that EarSwitch continues to go from strength to strength, and their recent showing at CES 2024 demonstrates their remarkable achievements over the past few years.
“The EarSwitch technology has the potential to transform the quality of life of those living with conditions such as motor neurone disease, and it is so pleasing to see that this work continues in the spirit of Peter Scott-Morgan and the Scott-Morgan Foundation. Developing a new medical device is a complex process, and we continue to support EarSwitch with both core technology development and ongoing clinical trials required for full regulatory approval. It is a real pleasure to see such continued success from Nick and the team.”
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Ceva also signed a strategic partnership with the world’s second largest supplier of earphones and wearables.
The deal with boAt (Imagine Marketing Limited) in India covers the next generation of lifestyle-focused consumer products, including TWS earbuds, neckbands, headphones, speakers and smartwatches.
boAt overtook Xiaomi, Samsung in Q3’23 to become 2nd largest wearable maker in the world, after Apple according to IDC.
The partnership spans a broad range of Ceva’s connectivity, sensing and inferencing technologies, which ‘boAt Labs’, the in-house research and development team, will use to develop high-quality products that provide the best user experience possible at accessible price points.
boAt uses Bluetooth audio chipsets from different semiconductor suppliers today, several of which are based on Ceva’s Bluetooth platforms and/or Audio AI DSPs. Through this collaboration, Ceva and boAt will partner to select Bluetooth audio chipsets from Ceva licensees for boAt product lines and optimize Ceva value-add software packages for these products, including TWS earbuds, neckbands, headphones, smart speakers, and smartwatches.
The Xreal Air 2 Ultra smart glasses launched at CES 2024
The first boAt product under this partnership, the Nirvana Eutopia Spatial Audio headphones, feature CEVA’s Bluetooth, Audio AI DSP, and its RealSpace spatial audio software with precise head tracking. These are the first spatial audio headphones in boAt’s lineup to offer dynamic head tracking capabilities which further enhance the spatial audio experience.
The Nirvana Eutopia headphones are expected to be available in India in the first quarter of 2024.
“We’re constantly seeking the foremost technologies and innovations for our product roadmap and Ceva is a tremendous partner in this regard. Their broad portfolio of software, including audio, voice, and motion sensing technologies opens many opportunities to bring new features and capabilities to boAt products,” said Sameer Mehta, Co-founder, and CEO, Imagine Marketing Limited, boAt parent company,
- RayNeo demonstrates ultralight AR glasses at CES 2024
- Single Chip LCOS panel for smart glasses
- Breakthrough for single panel RGB microLED display
- Sharp goes all in on AI
Wearable headsets were overshadowed by the announcement of the pricing for the Apple Vision Pro headset. Several smart glasses suppliers took aim at the $3499 price point of the Apple technology, with Xreal renewing its collaboration with Qualcomm and RayNeo showing its smart glasses. Display developers Omnivision and MoJo also launched new technologies that will drive up the quality of the display in smart glasses while driving down the cost and power consumption.
www.ceva-ip.com/product/ceva-realspace; www.omnivision.com; www.ceva.com; www.earswitch.com; www.sonical.com; www.xreal.com
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