Researchers have developed an ultra low-power, ring-based wireless mouse that can control content on AR glasses.
“My team and I created picoRing, an ultralow-power, tiny mouse that controls AR glasses over a month on a single charge. Previous so-called smart rings suffer from short lifespans because their small 50-60 megawatt-hour batteries struggle to power the necessary communications components for long,” said project assistant professor Ryo Takahashi from the University of Tokyo’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems.
“To solve this challenge, we needed picoRing to use hundreds of times less power at around 30-500 microwatts. So, we introduced a watchlike wristband that acts as a signal relay between the ring and AR glasses or other devices. This allowed us to use far weaker, and less power-hungry, communications components in the ring itself.”
Takahashi and his team used semi-passive inductive telemetry (semi-PIT), a familiar coil of wire used to send or receive signals, but their solution incorporates distributed capacitors throughout its length. This special arrangement acts to amplify magnetic fields used for communication, effectively giving them a free power boost without needing an active signal amplifier. The ring only weighs 5 grams.
“Although it’s just a prototype, picoRing could have several useful impacts on the way people interact with technology. Obviously, it could mean longer-lasting wearable technology becomes more common, but it also offers a new intuitive way to interact with AR,” said Takahashi. “It offers more discreet control to avoid being too obvious in public spaces, is generally more convenient because it’s so compact, and may become a platform for health sensors or other innovations. The limitations at present are common to prototype devices; it’s still relatively bulky for a ring, suffers from some interference and can only transfer quite simple information. Scrolling and pressing are OK, but complex hand gestures aren’t possible yet.
“Our technology could be adapted for health monitoring. A ring is in close contact with the skin, which makes it a good place to measure signals like heart rate or stress-related changes. Combining these health features with interaction control could open the door to multifunctional wearable devices,” said Takahashi. “At this stage, though, picoRing is best suited for AR and VR (virtual reality) environments, where traditional mice are awkward to use. For typical office work like spreadsheets or long editing sessions, a standard mouse is still more comfortable. But as the technology improves, it could become a lightweight alternative for mobile or occasional use.”
image: Takahashi et al. CC-BY-ND