One word… Hands-free.
We engage our hands for every task we do with digital devices like smart phones or computers while most of these tasks can be triggered and controlled hands-free via voice-command or even particular hand gestures, which simplify and minimise the use of hands.

[Efficiency] This brings us more efficiency in life and enables performing digital acts during the times we are limited to use our hands, e.g., driving, cycling, playing, writing, typing, performing, cooking, fixing, holding. We are all looking for comfort and fast reaction in our daily interactions. Eliminating the hassle of taking out and putting the phone from/into the pocket repetitively for frequent tasks can save us significant comfort and time in the moments when prompt response matters.

[Booster] Wearables are not necessarily meant to replace smart phones. They can also be used as a booster in joint with the other devices such as phones to enable more superpower features.

[Healthcare] In addition to general-purpose applications, wearables can also be used for healthcare since they are relatively more in contact with our body. This enables health monitoring or assistance.

[The Head] Ask the nature. Out of five human sensory systems (vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste) more than four of them (>80%) are located on the head (>4/5 because the head also includes touch sensors). This makes head the most important part of our body especially for the perception of our surrounding. Wearables are more than just an assistive computing unit. They are meant to interact with us, augment or replace our perception and be scene-aware. Additionally, our interactions with the wearable is partially done via voice-command and played back audio, and that makes it important for the device to be close to the mouth and the ears. Therefore, it makes most sense to think of a head-worn wearable.

[Habit] Glasses are the most conventional head-worn wearable we are used to wear. Even if we don’t wear a prescription glasses, we wear sunglasses when needed. Glasses is the only invention that physically connects, touches or passes by three of our biological sensors (nose, eyes and ears) all at once. That makes glasses a golden medium to boost & augment our perception. One tool that is your prescription glasses, sunglasses, hearing aid, ear (microphone), eye (camera), stand-alone or booster headphone/earphone, potentially screen, additional sensory systems, computer and AI assistant. All-in-One!

[Inclusion & Equality] Such an all-in-one and general-purpose tool can potentially remove the stigma of using health assistive devices like hearing aids. Studies show a significant portion of the people suffering from hearing loss do not wear hearing aids partially due to the stigma and the fear of “disability” tag they may get by the society. This is more common among the youths. A pair of smart glasses made for both normal and hearing/visually disabled people removes the boundary between the two groups as everyone would feel the same in the society. It also results in more inclusive interactions and makes people with hearing loss & blindness or even foreign-language speaking more engaged in interactions and less isolated.

Separating the sensors from the computing unit provides variety of advantages for us (the maker), the user and the environment. These advantages are as follows:

[Computational Power] Regardless of how advanced and computationally powerful miniaturised chips are or will become, an additional and larger space for the computing unit will always provide more and superior computational power, compared to one-piece glasses. This unlocks more real-time and more powerful never-seen-before features and functionalities for augmented interactions, especially with the help of sophisticated AI models. Yet, the hardware industry, including the big names, is more than a decade away from miniaturising powerful-enough computers and long-life battery into regular-size glasses form factor for multi-purpose applications and embedded processing.

[Battery Power] Similar to computational power, additional battery power provides longer run time and usability for wearables. This is a highly important factor for multi-purpose, multi-modal & multi-sensor devices which are expected to consume more power and last longer during the day.

[Compact Glasses] Most of the size and the weight in the conventional smart glasses are taken by the computing unit & the battery. The micro sensors are in fact highly compact and easily deployable in a compact form factor. So taking the size and the weight of the computing unit and battery off the head enables the use of super-light and compact glasses containing sensors only. Note that the sensors and output units (e.g., speakers, display, or projector) are the only important needs to be on the head.

[non-Miniaturised Components] A larger and more conventional geometry for the circuitry enables the use of conventional-size components and does not limit us to miniaturised technology only.

[Customer- & Environment-friendly Replaceability] Do you want to switch between AR and VR devices or own different styles of glasses? Don’t pay twice for the same computing unit. Different devices often require the same computational capacity and all we need to change is the Input/Out (I/O) device. Having one computing unit with a generic I/O interface that is adaptive to multiple head-worn wearables with different purposes is better for the user and the environment. The user can upgrade only the part that is needed. This saves money for the customer as well as plastic/minerals and CO2 for the planet.

[Distance] The closest body part to the head-worn wearable is the neck (excluding the head). Whether the connection between the glasses and the computing unit is wired or wireless, having both units as close as possible provides better and more robust connection between the two.

[Habit] Neck-worn is not a new concept to human. We often wear necklace for different purposes such as jewellery, tie, ID card/badge at work or school, so we are used to neck-worn wearable.

[Less Visibility] Although neck is an exposed body part and rarely covered by clothing, behind the neck is still a partially hidden body section compared to around the neck. Some designs propose jewellery-like necklace where the computing unit sits on the chest via a neckband as it can potentially provide more space or less visibility (by being covered under the clothing). However, those designs suffer from (1) being electronically at a longer distance from the glasses, (2) preventing the use of other necklaces (e.g., jewellery), and (3) can potentially move or jump depending on the user physical activity (e.g., running, jumping). In addition, the placement of electronics with battery or electromagnetic wave transmitter such as Wifi/Bluetooth/Cellular next to the heart can be fatally dangerous for the user.

[Multi-mount] Unlike the other U-shaped designs that extend to the space around the neck, having the computing unit as a box that only occupies the space behind-the-neck enables variety of mounting methods such as necklace or self-adhesive patch. The necklace method provides fast and easy mounting or removal, utilisation of the trapezius muscle, as well as flexibility on the size, design, and visibility of the neckband. The self-adhesive patch method alternatively enables minimal visibility and the strongest attachment suitable for tasks with high physical activity such as sport or military operations.

[Standard Chips] Unlike the other U-shaped concepts, a simple geometry such as cubic box enables the use of standard-size electronic components and lifts the limitation on the use of miniaturised chips.

Although wireless connection between the glasses and the computing unit is visually preferred, having a wired connection provides the following advantages. Note that the wires can be very thin (<2mm), very short (<5cm), length-adjustable (via spiral design) and with minimal visibility (by being the same colour as the user hair, hidden inside the hair or partially transparent).

[Robust Connectivity] Unlike wireless connection that provides latency, proneness to interfering signals (e.g., microwaves) and hackability from external sources, the wired connection enables faster data transfer and minimal latency suitable for real-time applications, safer isolation, and more secure data transfer privacy-wise.

[Batteryless Glasses] The wired connectivity eliminates the need of battery and wireless communicator module on the glasses as the sensors and the output units on the glasses can receive their power and data directly from the neck-mounted unit. This releases significant weight and size off the head and eliminates the need to charge the glasses.

[Neckband Functionality] If we need a break from the glasses, we can simply take them off while keeping the glasses hanged from our neck and rested on the chest. The wires act the role of neckband with the help of strain-relief joints at the glasses’ temples and the computing unit. Spiral design for the wires enables extension or shrinkage of the wire length similar to a stretchable band.

Circumix is the only company aiming for and working on such device/design and holds the intellectual property (IP) rights for head-worn wearable with behind-the-neck computing unit. Whether Circumix continues as an independent start-up or to be acquired by big names, it is the owner & inventor of such futuristic powerful technology. It is also the home of many other innovative & disruptive ideas & prototypes in form of hardware and software (algorithm) to be disclosed in the future.

Circumix also hosts and is founded by the visionary innovator, researcher and engineer, Dr Sina Hafezi who has been the inventor & developer behind the core foundations in Circumix hardware and algorithm solutions. We welcome more innovators to join on board. Stay tuned for many more upcoming innovative techs from us.