Myo Armband

Multi-faceted wearable tech

By Anca Gagiuc on Dec 5, 2014 in Technology

Canadian startup Thalmic Labs blew people’s minds back in 2013 when they presented an armband that empowered the wearer to control several kinds of technology using simple hand gestures. The Myo armband changes the way we interact with everyday computing devices. Seeing how it works is like glimpsing into the future, or at Iron Man Tony Stark’s gesture-controlled hollo-computer.

 

What is Myo?

Myo is the most natural way yet to merge technology and people. Myo seems to be the next step after we’ve hit the limits of today’s form factors, whether they are personal computers, tablets, or smartphones. Thalmic Labs’ armband is a gesture control device that is placed around the widest part of the forearm. A piece of software displays a series of training gestures to get you accustomed to the interface. The gestures are simple: bend the open hand left or right, sweep the forearm left or right, spread out the fingers, clench into a fist, press the thumb against the pinky. The last gesture is the one that awakes and puts Myo to sleep. Also, when slipping it off your forearm it automatically goes to sleep, saving the battery life.

You might need to reposition either your arm or the armband to have it recognize the gestures, but once you figure it out, it’s easy to use.

In case you worry that if won’t fit your forearm, Thalmic Labs say that the armband was created using a comfortable flex technology which allows for one-size-fits-all design, and it comes equipped with 10 sizing clips.

Myo comes in black and white. It weighs 93 grams, 0.45 inches thick. It’s expandable between 7.5 – 13 inches (19 – 34 cm) forearm circumference.

How does it work?

Myo uses Bluetooth Smart technology to connect to your device – PC, laptop, smartphone. It currently doesn’t have apps for iOS or Android, but these are in the works. The Bluetooth 4.0 device features a new type of biosensor which can pick up minute electrical impulses in the arm muscles. As long as the inner side of Myo has skin contact, any wrist movement, finger twitch, or fist clench, can be interpreted as a gesture.

The hardware includes a series of sensors: Medical Grade Stainless Steel EMG sensors, highly sensitive nine-axis IMU containing three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer, and three-axis magnetometer. The armband uses a Micro-USB to charge it built-in lithium ion battery that lasts for one full day at a single charge. Dual Indicator LEDs and ARM Cortex M4 Processor complete the specifications.

Myo is compatible with a wide range of devices and OSs: Windows 7 & 8 and OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) and above – all three with included USB Bluetooth adapter; iOS 7 and higher for iPad 3rd and 4th generations, iPad Air and iPad Air 2, iPhones starting with 4S and up to 6 Plus, iPod Touch 5th generation, iPad Mini 1st and 2nd generation and iPad Mini 3; Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) and up – the device must have Bluetooth radio that supports Bluetooth 4.0.

The device comes in handy for different types of circumstances: presentations, smartphones, smarthomes, radio control, and multimedia.

• Myo connects to presentation software such as Microsoft Powerpoint, Apple Keynote, and Adobe Acrobat; by simply waving it lets you move slides, while making a fist allows you to annotate.
• It allows to seamlessly control music on your smartphone without actually touching it; with just a flick of your wrist you can skip tracks, pause them, or control the volume.
• The smart technology you have at home can be controlled with Myo with natural gestures. The Philips Hue lights turn on when you spread your fingers, and dim when you make a fist.
• Pairing Myo with your Mac or PC allows you to control iTunes, Netflix, VLC, and Spotify.
• Last but not least, Myo is a real gamer’s paradise, pairing seamlessly with Oculus Rift.

The possibilities are endless: Thalmic Labs has partnered with Grammy-nominated DJ Armin Van Buuren to bring gesture control to his live performances, manipulating lights, video, effects, and even sound, using a custom integration built by Haute Technique. The armband will be compatible with existing software applications working as a MIDI controller with Ableton Live, Serato DJ, Traktor, Logic Pro, and Garage Band. Another renowned collaboration was announced with Google Glass, more precisely with developers given the mission to make it easier for people in industries such as healthcare and construction to use the eye-device as they go about their workday.

At $199 for pre-orders, it might be the perfect holiday surprise for the gamer, athlete, DJ, or just an important person in your life.