Thalmic Labs today unveiled the final design for its upcoming Myo gesture-control armband. Gone is the bulky look of the Myo Alpha units and in is a slim design made of eight sensor units encased in an expandable webbing ring. Here is a comparison of the alpha and final versions of the Myo armband:
“Our team has put countless hours into creating the sleek design we’re showing today, as well as the technology inside of it,” said Stephen Lake, CEO and Co-founder of Thalmic Labs. “This final design is rugged, while also being lightweight, making it easy for the Myo armband to become a part of our everyday lives.”
Worn around your upper forearm, the Myo tracks the motions and rotations of your forearm by measuring electrical activity in your muscles. Combined with a 9-axis motion sensors and gesture recognition algorithms, the Myo can respond to a wide range of gestures. Uses for the Myo are far-ranging and include working with your Mac, PC, iOS, and Android devices, acting as a controller for home automation and entertainment, controlling robotic devices and playing video games.
The Myo is powered by an ARM Cortex-M4 processor. It supports Bluetooth 4.0 LE and the nine-axis IMU contains a three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis magnetometer. It can also provide haptic feedback.
The new design weighs 93 grams and is only 11.5 millimeters thick. The sensor pads are now made of medical grade stainless steel.
The Myo armband will come in both black and white. It is currently available for pre-order for US $149 directly from Thalmic. The Myo Developer Kit is expected to begin shipping next month with non-developer versions to follow in September. It should be widely available for real-time purchase later in the fall.
Source : Thalmic Labs