In April this year, Humane, a secretive startup company, showed off its revolutionary AI wearable. This secretive AI startup is founded by ex-Apple executives. It started the journey in 2018, and the company is finally ready to launch its very first product, the Humane AI Pin.
If you missed it, Humane gave an early look at the device at the showcase event. According to Humane, the AI Pin is a “new type of standalone device with a software platform that harnesses the power of AI to enable innovative personal computing experiences.”
Imran Chaudhri, the CEO of Humane and former director of design on the human interface team at Apple, talked a lot about the prototype at the event. The prototype has reached its final stage of development. Yes, the first version of Humane AI Pin is set to arrive pretty soon.
When Humane Will Release the AI Pin
Specifics regarding the AI wearable are extremely thin. And from what it seems, Humane will give out details little by little until the final release day. However, a good amount of official information is still available to discuss.
Humane has not yet disclosed any pricing information about the AI wearable. However, through a press release, Humane confirmed that the AI Pin will be available “later this year.”
Assuming no delays will occur, the AI wearable will be among us in the coming six months. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if Humane releases the AI Pin towards the very end of the year. After all, Humane wants to refine and optimize it as much as possible.
Want to be among the first to order the Humane AI Pin? The company is letting people get on the waitlist. Those who will sign up will get “priority access” to the AI wearable when it becomes available.
Design of Humane AI Wearable
According to the press release, the Human AI Pin is a “clothing-based wearable.” And as Chaudhri showcased in the TED talk event, you can wear it at the chest level of your clothing. You can check out the entire TED talk event in the video embedded below.
However, the image currently on Humane’s homepage looks a bit different than the prototype. It’s a bit less wide than the device showcased at the TED talk. But as the device has “Pin” in its name, the final version will likely clip onto any clothing item. So, wearing it should be a piece of cake.
That said, unlike any other device, the Humane AI Pin is designed to be invisible. The company wants to make it blend in with the clothing item. As Chaudhri showcased, the wearable will only come to life when tapped or spoken to.
Another crucial design element to note is that there’s no screen on the AI Pin. Instead, it utilizes a projector, which can project images and text on any surface. For the demonstration in the TED talk, Chaudhri used his hand.
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How Do You Interact with It?
As there’s no screen or buttons on the Humane AI Pin, all the interactions with the device happen with your voice. It’s basically like having a robust Alexa or Google Assistant pinned to your chest.
However, the Humane AI Pin is more than what current generation virtual assistants are. It is packed with features and functions that can replace your smartphone.
Features of Humane AI Pin
The Humane AI Pin is not here just to let you answer calls. Beyond phone calls, the AI wearable is trying to streamline a good number of smartphone features. All of them are interpreted in real-time through artificial intelligence.
Humane says, “The connected and intelligent clothing-based wearable device uses a range of sensors that enable contextual and ambient compute interactions.” And the showcase event at the TED talk gave us a glimpse of these interactions.
When it comes to functionality, it ranges from diary management to getting a summary of crucial information that you may have missed. The Humane AI Pin can also give you real-time translations, which will make it easier for you to travel across the globe.
Moreover, the AI wearable bears the ability to give you dietary recommendations. And the best part is that it can scan product labels and let you know whether that specific food fits your dietary restrictions.
However, the features that were showcased in the TED talk event are just scratching the surface. The Humane AI Pin is capable of doing more things than your smartphone. And it could eventually be a proper replacement for your phone.
Humane AI Pin Specifications
There’s not much official information available about the specs of the Humane AI pin. But the recent press release did give us a little idea of what could power the AI wearable. As Humane talked about the involvement of Qualcomm, we can safely assume that it will pack a Qualcomm smartphone chipset.
As the press release reads, “Humane is collaborating with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. for this unique device and form factor.” But it’s not clear which specific chipset will be in the AI Pin. The company said, “Humane’s first device will be powered by an advanced Snapdragon platform from Qualcomm Technologies.”
What Role Will the Wearable Device Play in the Age of Modern Smartphones
Humane AI Pin is a category of its own. It’s neither a smartphone nor an AR device like the Apple Vision Pro. Instead, the real reason for its existence is to let people be more “in the moment.” Humane wants people to be less glued to screens. And while that means the interaction experience will be less private, we will need to wait and see where Humane takes the AI Pin.
