Time and again, tech has evolved from handheld telephones and Symbian mobiles to touch phones aka smartphones and slowly is being integrated with AI (artificial intelligence). So what do you think is next in technological breakthroughs that can replace smartphones? Former Apple employee Imran Chaudhri’s TED talk divulged one such AI-powered wearable device originating from his startup – the Humane wearable device.
The spectrum of technology evolution is expanding at lightning speed and smartphones, smart cars, and smart computers have become a rudimental part of people’s daily lives now. Even if people aren’t able to keep up, technology has detonated in the market in a very short time, and people have become victims to it – they can’t imagine a life without technology now.
So while AR headsets and microchips in human brains may sound allegorical, Humane’s AI wearable does not come across with an air of being a ludicrous delusion. Rather, it is a small, screenless wearable that the user can carry around in their shirt pocket.
What Is The Humane Wearable Device?
Last week, prior to Imran Chaudhri’s TED talk, leaked footage of Humane’s wearable device displayed photos and videos – from the tech startup Humane, being led by ex-Apple employees Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno. It stirred excitement, fascination, and curiosity alike in the minds of tech aficionados, who believe the AI-powered wearable device can prove to be a worthy adversary to smartphones.
The proposed appearance of the Humane AI wearable is a small, screenless wearable gadget that can easily fit in a shirt pocket. Rather than the conventional front display, the top segment of the AI-powered wearable consists of a laser projector, supported with in-built microphones for voice commands, sensors for gesture controls, a camera, and speakers as well.
A gesture of tapping the device will ‘wake it up’ to gear up for following voice instructions. It isn’t just an accessory that needs to be paired with smartphones – it’s a dynamic screenless wearable device that is used independently, without a mobile connection.
According to TechCrunch, the taciturn startup raised $230 million from the likes of prominent investors like Kindred Ventures, LG Technology Ventures, Microsoft, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Qualcomm Ventures, Tiger Global, and Volvo Cars Tech Fund.
What Can Humane’s Screenless Wearable Do? Exclusive Tech Features
One of the focal points of the Humane wearable device is aimed at voice interaction. The demo of the AI-powered wearable at Imran Chaudhri’s TED talk highlighted a feature called ‘Catch me up’ which gives the user a summary of the missed notifications as a breakdown of emails, messages and calendar invites, instead of shoving them endlessly.
Another demo of the Humane AI wearable nitpicks at voice translations – surprisingly, when the user says a phrase in English, the device uses the voice of the same person and retorts back in the translated language. The camera feature of the screenless wearable isn’t just for the prosaic purpose of photography, but rather a scanner which can caution the user of food allergies, personal preferences or dietary restrictions if prompted by scanning any food item.
tonight, i’m taking the stage @TEDTalks to share a bit of what we’ve been building @humane
i’m excited about tomorrow, it’s gonna be different after today
— Imran Chaudhri (@imranchaudhri) April 20, 2023
The most prolific feature of the Humane wearable device has to be the laser projector. The demo displayed an incoming call notification on Chaudhri’s palm. On receiving the call, the projected display shows the caller ID, call duration, and button controls for ending the call or muting the microphone.
Can The Humane AI Wearable Replace iPhones And Smartphones?
While the early speculations of the Humane wearable device are being described as an ‘iPhone killer’, only a page has been opened of the stunning tech behind the features of the AI-powered wearable.
Will it be more practical than whipping out a smartphone, will it be affordable to the mass like mobiles, and will it exceed expectations for the future of AI and technology? What holds in the future, only time can tell.
