What makes RingOne Stand out ? — Part 2
Welcome back to the blog series on “Ring One” . In the previous part, we explored the design that makes Ring One Stand out. You can read more about it here. In this edition, we’ll delve deep into the hardware that powers Ring One.
To create the incredible experiences that Ring One offers, we encountered a distinctive challenge: we required hardware that not only fits seamlessly within all the 10 sizes of the ring but is also reliable and delivers exceptional accuracy.
Hardware specifications
Let’s take a look at the hardware comparison between Ring One and the other smart rings in the market.
The above specifications makes RingOne the most advanced smart ring in the market.
Did you know?
The task of designing electronics for RingOne was intricate. We needed to develop 10 unique PCBs and electronic configurations, all utilizing identical components but customized for each ring size. This meticulous approach was crucial in guaranteeing uniform battery life, antenna performance, and accuracy in health vitals across all sizes.
Let’s dive into the major hardware highlights in the Ring:
1. Cutting edge sensor technology
Ring One has 2 pairs of Optical PPG sensors with Green, Red and IR LEDs that measure the following vitals: Heart Rate, SpO2, Blood Pressure, Respiratory Rate. It also has 2 NTC temperature sensors to measure your skin temperature.
We ran simulations with multiple PPG sensor combinations and tested with various positions around the finger. We also analysed how the different curvatures of Lenses ( bumps ) affect the signal quality. This led us to selecting a combination of two sensors ( two pairs of Green, Red and Infrared LEDs along with two photo detectors ) and one solid lens for each photodetector.
This combination not only yielded superior signal quality but also extended battery life significantly when contrasted with competitors employing multiple sensor pairs, which tend to have a detrimental impact on battery performance.
Here are some key features of our sensor technology
- The two PPG sensors, each with its Red, Green and Infrared LEDs fuse perfectly with each other to always give the best signal. The position of these sensors also ensures that at least one of them stays at the palm side of your finger at all times even if your ring rotates during sleep.
- We use the 3d accelerometer and the gyroscope to get a detailed understanding of your movement and use this to accurately compensate for any noise added to your PPG signal ensuring accuracy even when you are working out.
- Ring One uses 2 NTC type Temperature sensors that are calibrated to work through medical grade plastic that wraps around your finger. These can detect a change of upto 0.1 degree Celsius ensuring even the most minute of changes in your body are captured.
- Ring One can also measure blood pressure. This is made possible by a perfect combination of hardware and software. By firing up each of the PPG sensors with the perfect time gap, Ring One observes the blood flow patterns and estimate the Pulse transit time and Blood pressure.
All of this is only possible because of the Dual core processor used in Ring One. It ensures high frequency sensor data polling and ensures that Ring One does not miss a beat while measuring your health vitals.
What’s unique ?
Using the 6 axis accelerometer and gyroscope helps Ring One compensate for noise during movement perfectly, ensuring accurate readings all day. We will delve deeper into how this helps in our health metrics blog post.
2. Wireless charging
Getting both the Payments and Wireless charging in Ring One posed a problem. There was limited space for two antennas. There was also the problem of interference between wireless charging ,NFC signals and bluetooth antenna.
We innovated an all new solution to make both the features work with a single antenna.
Ring One intelligently adjusts to its current use case, dynamically powering the antenna to support wireless charging, payments, or for access control as needed.
This ensured there was no tradeoff on what users could do with Ring One.
Did you know ?
We were able to achieve a SAR level of 0.0003 W/kg. This is extremely low compared to smart watches or smart phones. This ensures there are no harmful effects of the Ring’s signals on the human body, providing peace of mind to all users.
3. NFC chip
The chip in Ring One has a secure element that offers versatile applet support, enabling your Ring to manage multiple accessories simultaneously. It supports:
- Payment applets for Visa, Mastercard, and Rupay, facilitating convenient transactions.
- The Tesla key card application for unlocking your Tesla vehicle.
- Compatibility with existing transit ticketing systems, allowing for effortless commuting with a simple tap of the Ring.
4. Capacitive On Finger Detection
Ring One uses a dedicated on finger detection capacitive sensor to know when it’s on your finger. The moment you take it off your finger, Ring One disables all NFC related functionality including payments and also switches off its sensors and enters a low power mode to extend the battery life.
Why is it important?
Ring One is the only smart ring to use a dedicated On — finger detection sensor. It helps preserve battery and also provides an additional layer of security for payments.
More Highlights about hardware in Ring One
Summary
In our quest to bring Ring One to life, we set out to redefine what’s possible in a smart ring, and these hardware breakthroughs are a testament to our commitment. These innovations set Ring One apart, providing users with unparalleled convenience, reliability, and functionality in a compact and stylish form factor
In our next blog post, we’ll venture further into the heart of Ring One and explore its algorithms, health and fitness metrics. You can read more about it here.
Until then, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the hardware breakthroughs in Ring One. Feel free to share your thoughts and questions with us. Your feedback fuels our innovation.
Stay tuned for more exciting insights into the world of Ring One!
