💍 Open Ring - Open-Source Smart Ring

This series follows the development of Open Ring — an open-source Smart Ring engineered to pack full wireless connectivity, sensing, haptics, and charging into a tiny, finger-sized wearable. Parts 1 and 2 uncover both the early research phase and the deep hardware design decisions that make such a compact device possible.

Key features of the project:
➡️Provides market research, product teardowns, and early prototyping insights
➡️Rigid-flex PCB design enabling ultra-thin construction and dense component placement
➡️Detailed exploration of BLE SoC selection, antenna engineering, and RF constraints
➡️Power management, curved batteries, and a fully custom wireless charging system
➡️Scalable design for multiple ring sizes with reusable PCB sections
➡️Mutual-capacitance touch sensing paired with dual-MCU control for gesture input
➡️Miniaturized haptic feedback achieved through tiny motors boosted by a high-capacity capacitor bank

With the first two parts laying out both the research journey and the hardware engineering behind Open Ring, the series gives a clear and honest look at what it takes to turn a small idea into a real piece of wearable tech. The project has its own 😹 GitHub repository. The project is still in progress, and the upcoming Part 3 will dive into the firmware that brings all of this hardware to life.

More information:
🔗 Part 1: Research and Prototype
🔗 Part 2: Hardware Design

#projects #articles #smart_ring