The smart ring or, if you prefer, smart ringsare wearable devices that combine the convenience of a wearable accessory with the advanced technology of the most advanced wearable. Small, light and discreet, these rings are typically worn on the index finger and are very similar to normal rings, but are able to monitor health of the wearer by tracking their physical activity, quality and duration of sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) 24 hours a day and more. Furthermore, by integrating perfectly with the smartphone, they allow you to read data relating to your vital parameters directly from the smartphone. The credit for their functioning goes to the presence of various sensors placed on the body of these devices appreciated by more and more users. Let’s find out in more detail how smart rings are made and what their usefulness is.
What a smart ring looks like
Smart rings are designed to look like traditional rings, but in fact they are a true concentration of miniaturized technologies. Their compact design integrates various sensors, a battery and a communication module. The materials used are often resistant and light, such as titanium, stainless steel or ceramic, to ensure comfort and durability over time. They are designed to be kept on the finger 24 hours a day, with battery life that can last up to 4 days (especially due to the absence of a display).
Inside the ring there are small sensors that monitor different activities. In many models (not to mention practically all those currently on the market) there is the heart rate monitoring sensorwhich can be infrared or optical, and which is used to monitor the heart’s activity at rest and during training sessions. Still on the subject, it is increasingly common to find the sensor in smart rings SpO2The latter has the task of detecting oxygen levels in the blood.
Some smart rings may also have a sensor to measure the glucose and a NTC thermistor to detect body temperature. In addition to these, there is usually also a 3-axis accelerometeruseful for monitoring activities such as walking, running, etc.
Since the smart ring must necessarily connect to a mobile device to allow the user to read the data detected by the sensors, Bluetooth connection is available on practically all models. Regarding connectivity, the presence of the chip is gaining ground in some models NFC (Near Field Communication) which, as you may already know, is mainly used for making contactless payments.
The ring needs to be powered by a small battery to work. rechargeable batterywith variable duration (from a few days to a week or more, depending on the use and the technical specifications of the smart ring). Usually the battery can be recharged via a magnetic base or a special cable, similar to that used for other wearable devices.
As for how a smart ring works, it is conceptually very simple: once worn, the sensors begin to collect various biometric data that are processed and displayed in real time on a dedicated app (usually developed by the ring manufacturer and compatible with the health monitoring apps that come by default on Android and iPhone).
What is a smart ring for?
The first ever smart ring was launched in 2013, when the British company Mclear he launched theNFC Ringdesigned to perform rather ingenious tasks, such as automatically unlocking the door of your car. But it was only a few years later that the smart ring became a popular technological accessory, “thanks” also to the COVID-19 pandemic, which placed a certain emphasis on monitoring one’s vital parameters, primarily body temperature and blood oxygenation. This explains, therefore, What is a smart ring for?: monitor your health.
Having the possibility of having a small, minimally invasive, lightweight and easy-to-integrate device into your routine, which allows you to constantly monitor your heart rate, calories burned and sleep quality analysis are aspects that are particularly dear to those who love to have a detailed overview of their health status without having to resort to the use of a smartwatch (which is decidedly more cumbersome and potentially expensive).
