When it comes to electronics today, there’s no shortage of smart devices on the market. Unfortunately using those gadgets often requires individuals to carry clunky controls or navigate convoluted control panels as a smart interface. The markers of Welle are looking to change things up a bit by enabling anyone to turn virtually any surface into a gesture control board.
To use the device, users connect their devices via Bluetooth, install the mobile application, assign gestures, and enjoy.
Welle is designed to work with a variety of devices and applications including Sonos, Samsung, Nest, Hue, IFTTT, LIFX, Belkin WeMo, and SmartThings.
As mentioned earlier, Welle uses refined sonar technology to turn any surface into a smart interface instantly, the same technology used in military applications, automobiles, and drones. The systems work by transmitting signal pulses and collecting the reflected energy back from targets. The characteristics of the echoes are then extracted and translated into different Internet of Things (IoT) devices using an advanced hardware design and software algorithms. Ultrasound technology carries a few advantages as opposed to other solutions since it doesn’t malfunction under dim or no-light conditions.
The patent pending technology behind Welle goes beyond standard gesture sensing technologies commonly included in smartphones. The sensors are designed to analyze trajectory data, digitized gestures, along with handwriting recognition capabilities.
Welle also only uses 20 milliwatts of power, providing it with a significantly longer battery life than the competition. It’s sized at 75mm x 17mm x 35mm, is compatible with Bluetooth enabled devices, weighs 28g, has a battery life of 30 days, and has a diction region of 10cm in front of the device. The device runs off an ARM Cortex M4 single-core 168MHZ processor, with 192KB of RAM.
For users who don’t have smart devices, the makers of Welle are partnering with SwitchBot to make it possible for users to control all switches and buttons wherever they are. To use SwitchBot, users attach the device near the button or switch they’re looking to control, and they are ready to go.
So far the makers of Welle have raised over $57,000 via crowdfunding with an estimated shipping date of October 2017. Early bird pricing for the device starts at $69 which is $30 off the suggested retail price of $99.
