A Korean start-up will commercialize the ‘human body sound transmission technology’ for using fingers as earphones next year. You can hear sound on wearable devices without earphones or headsets. It heralded an innovation in user experience (UX) of wearable device.
According to the industry on December 16, Innomdle Lab (CEO Choi Hyun-chul) will exhibit the ‘Tip-Talk’ at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) scheduled to be held in Las Vegas, US next month. The Tip-Talk is a technology for transmitting sound through human body by installing a special sensor in wearable devices. It will be commercialized next year.
If you put your fingers to your ears while wearing the band with the Tip-Talk, you will hear the sound from the device. The human body like the wrists and fingers serve as the media that transmit sound. Innomdle Lab developed it for the first time in the world.
It is expected to greatly improve the UX of wearable devices. Previously to hear the sound of wearable devices, you had to use wired or wireless earphones or expose the sound so that everyone can hear it. If you wear the Tip-Talk band, you will be able to hear the sound as if you were wearing earphones. All it takes is for you to put your fingers to your ears. No one else can hear your conversation, and you can hear the sound clearly even in noisy places.
The key is the technology for transmitting sound through human body. To develop the special sensor module inserted into the band, Innomdle Lab cooperated with China’s Bestar Technology.
This module transmits the sound of the device to the human body. Bestar is a company specializing in development and manufacturing of speakers and piezoelectric element for smartphones, consumer electronics and automobiles. It came to Korea in 2013.
Innomdle Lab is a start-up fostered by Samsung Electronics. All of its founders are ex-Samsung employees. It shares a Samsung sub-booth at the CES. The Tip-Talk project was a prize-winner in the Samsung Electronics in-house contest last May. It started out as an in-house venture, and was spun off as ‘Innomdle Lab’ which means the ‘Innovation Medley Lab.’
“Innomdle Lab, spun off from Samsung, will introduce the human body sound transmission technology at the CES next year,” said an industry insider. “If it is applied to wearable devices, it will greatly improve user experience. It is scheduled to be commercialized sometime next year.”
Song Joon-young | songjy@etnews.com