A wearable artificial intelligence pin looked to be promising last November but the startup, Humane, looks to reportedly be going the different route by selling the company for as much as $1 billion.
In November 2023, Humane made its debut and sole product, the AI Pin, fully public. The product creates an experience that is intended to be useful and ambient in daily life by utilizing AI models, Android, and a special laser projector.
Although the product received a great deal of negative feedback, it had a lot of potential. The device's issues included a very short battery life, frequent overheating issues, and other software flaws when it began shipping to customers in April 2024.
According to sources, Humane is looking for a sale price of between $750 million and $1 billion. It's early in the process, so an agreement might not be reached. Requests for a response from Humane representatives were not answered.
Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, a married couple with extensive experience at Apple Inc., started Humane in 2018 to develop a new AI-powered product that might compete with the iPhone. Investors valued it at $850 million last year, according to sources.
To date, the company has raised $230 million from several well-known investors, including Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI.
Originally designed to fit into everyday activities, Humane's AI Pin was marketed to improve interactions with the environment.
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Humane's AI Pin
Among its features are AI-driven messaging that tailors messages to the user's tone, contextualization, and the AI Mic, which makes fast search functions possible.
Past reports also state that AI Pin provides a variety of interaction options. Talking naturally, using the touchpad, utilizing gestures, or using the Laser Ink Display that is projected into their palm are all options available to users. Intentionally, this screenless interface is made to blend in the background and offer a flexible and engaging artificial intelligence experience.
Meta's Wearable Technology Development
Not just Humane, but even the biggest internet companies are developing wearables. Apart from the Meta Quest Pro and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, there have been rumors recently that Meta is developing "Camerabuds," another wearable device.
Named "Camerabuds," the project aims to integrate sophisticated AI and camera features into a single headphone set.
According to reports, Meta is investing substantial resources into this project, although it is still in the initial development stages. Despite having yet to finalize the form factor, Meta is reportedly committed to overcoming the technical challenges to bring this product to market.
Additionally, according to insider reports, the development team is working on a solution to stop the wearer's hair from getting in the way of the cameras. The Camerabuds' usability and functionality depend on overcoming this technological obstacle.
Controlling the heat produced by the camera and integrated AI components is also a major concern. It's crucial to make sure the hardware stays cool while being used to prevent human discomfort.
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(Photo: Tech Times)
