Natura, an AI and hardware startup, is introducing Interface, a $99 smart ring that lets users interact with AI agents through simple voice commands. A press of the finger can capture an idea, start a task, or ask an AI assistant to do something, all without picking up a phone. The ring also tracks health data, including heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep, and daily activity.

Natura was founded by Carlo Edoardo Ferraris, who previously launched the tech accessories company Rolling Square. After years of developing consumer hardware, Ferraris came to believe that AI needed a more natural way for people to interact with technology. Rather than opening apps and typing commands, users should be able to ask an AI agent for help as they would ask another person, reports TechCrunch.

Interface is designed around that idea. At launch, it will work with several AI services and applications, including Meta’s Muse, Instinct, Grok Bot, Claude, and ChatGPT. Preorders are expected to open next month, with deliveries planned for December or January.

Why Put AI in a Ring?

Interface is not Natura’s first product. The company previously developed HumanPods, AI-enabled earbuds that let users communicate with AI agents. However, Ferraris said the rapid progress in voice technology led the company to reconsider which device would make AI easiest to access throughout the day.

In an interview with TechCrunch, he explained that people should be able to reach their AI agents at almost any time. A ring makes that possible because users can wear it while sleeping, showering, exercising, or going about their daily routines without needing to take it off.

The company sees plenty of potential uses. Someone going for a run could ask the ring to track a workout. In the morning, they could check their schedule. If they run out of shampoo, they could request a reorder, while someone watching TV before bed could ask the ring to switch it off and set an alarm.

The device could also help with work. After recording a meeting, for example, a user could ask an AI agent to prepare the notes and send them to a colleague.

AI responses can be delivered through connected headphones, an iPhone Live Activity, or Natura’s NatureOS app. Users who work with several AI tools can also choose which agent handles each request. They might use Claude for coding, Instinct to make a reservation, and another agent for a different task.

Controlling Computers Through Voice

Natura’s plans go beyond everyday requests. Ferraris believes AI agents will eventually handle much of the work people now do on computers. Tasks such as filling out forms, sending messages, locating files, and preparing presentations could be completed through voice instructions rather than navigating multiple applications.

Related New Smart Ring Wakes Users Up Mid-Apnea Before They Know It

He expects early adopters to be people who already use personal AI agents, particularly those working in technology. As these tools become more common, however, he believes the ring could appeal to a much wider audience.

The company’s longer-term vision is to make Interface a primary way of interacting with digital services, although that shift will depend on how quickly people adopt personal AI agents and how well the technology performs in everyday situations.

Price, Subscription, and Battery Life

Natura plans to launch Interface at $99 to encourage adoption, even though its manufacturing costs are comparable to those of established products such as the Oura Ring and Samsung Galaxy Ring. The company says the devices share many of the same components.

The introductory price will not necessarily last. After an initial free period of three to six months, Natura plans to charge users $9 per month. The company eventually intends to raise the hardware price as well, though it has not specified when that will happen.

Beyond AI functions, Interface measures heart rate, resting heart rate, HRV, sleep stages, daily movement, step count, and changes in skin temperature over time.

Natura estimates that the ring will last between six and 12 days on a full charge, depending on usage. A complete recharge takes around 100 minutes.

Competing in Two Smart-Ring Markets

Smart rings have largely developed along two paths. Companies such as Oura, Ultrahuman, and RingConn focus mainly on health tracking, while newer products from companies including Pebble and Vocci explore AI-based interactions.

Natura wants Interface to bring these functions together in one device. Ferraris says the challenge has been combining health sensors, voice communication with AI agents, meeting recording, and memory features without making the ring bulky or sacrificing battery life.

Whether users will want to wear a ring to manage both their health and AI assistants remains to be seen. But Natura is betting that a device that stays on the finger throughout the day could make AI more accessible than one that requires users to keep reaching for their phones.

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Cerna Healthcare’s "SafePatch” is a safety wearable skin patch that monitors a loved one’s safety and well-being. It is the only safety device in the world that sticks directly to the body, provides Fall Detection, Activity Monitoring and Emergency Messaging. Should there be a medical emergency, the SafePatch send texts and alerts to loved ones and/or professional monitoring staff. The patch is small, light, water resistant and discreet which most people want more than devices that are unsightly and bulky.

SafePatch for Mom and Dad that provides discreet safety and fall detection.

With state-of-the-art electronics and cellular reliability, Nick Payzant, Founder and CEO said, “It’s the most advanced personal senior safety system that exists today, we are using the latest semi-conductors, algorithms, AI and software to build this product.” Nick further explained, “Leveraging technology to assist our most vulnerable helps tremendously in today’s environment where our elders want to live at home and don’t want to deal with frequent recharging and interaction to operate it. My own mother would not wear a watch or pendant, which got me thinking about how to put a device on her that she wouldn’t care about or have to fuss with.” A product that loved ones are comfortable using is vital as family members are increasingly busy and our loved are now alone more often than ever, reports BusinessWire.

The SafePatch with one week’s battery life is paired with powerful software called “FallSoft”, which enables the SafePatch to monitor falls and movement, all while being in a safe environment at home. Alerts and texts are emitted to family members and/or friends immediately should SafePatch send out an SOS, detect a fall, step count and if there is low battery.

PROGRAM OPTIONS

SafePatch priced at $99.00 one-time fee for the unit and six month’s supply of replaceable patches, offers flexible program options to suit a range of needs from an elderly person living alone, to a physically disabled person. All plans include: SOS button, fall detection and activity monitoring.

Related Wearable Device Detects Hidden Stress

Family Monitoring

Anyone designated by the family (no limit on how many) will get alerts when an emergency happens and daily status for $9.99 per month.

Professional Monitoring

Includes a professional monitoring team to monitor, communicate and triage any emergency and non-emergency situation should one occur for $29.99 per month.

The SafePatch starts shipping in October.

About Cerna Healthcare

Located in Irvine, California, Cerna Healthcare is a health services provider that focuses on personal care and safety, primarily for the elderly and those that are losing independence and need personal assistance and/or assistive devices.

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Women’s health platform Flo Health announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Google Health to create a more personal, precise health experience for women at every stage of life – from a first period to pregnancy to perimenopause.

Alongside the partnership, Google Health has made a strategic investment in Flo. This is a recognition of the vital importance of women's health and the need to bring dedicated experiences and tools to life that can better support them, Flo Health said in a press release.

Since it launched over a decade ago, half a billion users worldwide have downloaded Flo and logged their cycles, and tracked symptoms, moods, sexual health and more, so they could better understand their hormonal health journeys. Beginning in early 2027, with their permission, users will be able to receive a more complete picture of health by syncing their Flo app with Google Health to get deeper insights and more personalized guidance for their cycle phases and life stages.

The partnership will connect Flo, used by more than 80 million women every month, with Google Health's wearables and personalized coaching through Google Health Coach, combining the deepest understanding of women's health with continuous signals from the wrist.

Flo Health and Google Health are committed to user data privacy and security, and a crucial part of this partnership is ensuring women stay in control. No data will move between the apps without a user's explicit permission — given separately for each type of data and each purpose — and users have the control to withdraw permission at any time. Flo data shared with Google Health will never be used for advertising, never be sold, and will not be made available to other apps or developers through Google's health platforms. Flo remains an independent company in which users' control their own data.

What the partnership will bring to women

Secure, consent-based app syncing. Women who choose to link their Flo and Google Health apps will see Fitbit signals — sleep, heart rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature and respiratory rate — to enrich Flo's cycle predictions and symptom insights. In the other direction, Flo's insights can appear in Google Health, so coaching reflects where a woman is in her cycle and her life. Flo will be Google Health's featured, premiere women's health partner inside the Google Health app.

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Future co-branded product collaborations: Flo and Google Health will partner to build new products that are specifically designed for women, with a deep integration of Flo's women's health insights and algorithms with Google's expertise in wearable hardware and advanced sensors.

Collaborative research to build A.I. that actually understands women's health. It is well-known that women's health has long been under-researched, and A.I. risks inheriting these gaps. This is a tension Google Health and Flo Health want to work on together by co-creating a research program to build A.I. that understands how hormones shape everything from sleep and heart rate, to mood and energy. With their combined expertise, the companies aim to develop models that can recognize early signs of perimenopause, or symptom patterns linked to conditions that can take years to diagnose such as PCOS, endometriosis, or fibroids. Flo and Google Health will also work to set new standards for how A.I. health guidance for women is evaluated, building on Flo's published research into the safety of A.I.-generated health advice. All research will use privacy-preserving techniques such as aggregated, pseudonymized and synthetic data, with rigorous clinical evaluation throughout. Flo and Google Health will also explore how wearable signals can support Flo's work in fertility, subject to clinical validation and regulatory review.

"Women have waited too long for technology that understands their bodies as well as it understands their steps. A.I. is about to change what is possible in women's health - but only if it's built with women in mind, not adapted for them afterward," said Dmitry Gurski, co-founder and CEO of Flo Health. "Flo has spent more than a decade earning the trust of millions of women who rely on us to learn more about what their cycles and life stages really look like. Together with Google Health, we're building on that trust through a privacy-first approach to give every woman insight that is personal, continuous and grounded in science, from her first period to menopause."

"We're making a significant investment in our commitment to women's health. By teaming up with Flo, together with our personalized coaching, research expertise and 24/7 tracking, we can help women understand their health in entirely new ways," said Rishi Chandra, GM Google Health.

About Flo Health

According to Flo Health, the company is the #1 Health and Fitness app worldwide and the #1 OB-GYN-recommended platform for period and cycle tracking. In 2024, Flo became the first European femtech unicorn following an investment from General Atlantic and now supports 80 million monthly active users (MAUs) worldwide. Powered by a network of over 100+ medical experts, Flo guides women through every stage of their health journey – from menstruation to conception, pregnancy, and menopause – offering curated cycle and ovulation tracking, personalized health insights, daily educational content, and a private community for users to share questions or concerns. Through its Pass it on Project, Flo has donated more than 29M Flo Premium subscriptions to improve health literacy to women in need, aiming to reach up to one billion. A leader in privacy and security, Flo Health's Anonymous Mode feature was recognized as one of TIME's Best Inventions 2023 and also named a finalist for Fast Company's 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards as part of the company's commitment to privacy.

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Ultrahuman, the Bengaluru-based health technology company behind a popular line of smart rings, is joining forces with Abu Dhabi’s public health authorities to develop a biological-age assessment model that could eventually reach people throughout the United Arab Emirates.

The company announced on Monday that it had signed a two-year memorandum of understanding with the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC). The collaboration will focus on developing and clinically validating a system that combines medical biomarkers with information collected by wearable devices. By analyzing these indicators, the model aims to estimate how an individual’s body is aging and determine which factors, such as sleep quality, physical activity, cardiovascular fitness, and metabolic health, may influence that process, reports TechCrunch.

The initiative reflects Ultrahuman’s broader ambition to expand beyond wearable products and establish itself as a health-data and analytics company. Rather than focusing solely on the hardware used to gather information, the startup wants to turn that data into insights and algorithms that can support research into aging, longevity, and preventive healthcare.

Speaking to TechCrunch, Ultrahuman CEO Mohit Kumar explained that the company’s smart ring is primarily a means of collecting physiological information. The bigger question, he said, is how Ultrahuman can use that information to develop meaningful health applications rather than simply selling a wearable device.

Government collaboration could allow the company to test and deploy its technology among a much larger and more diverse population than its existing customer base. Ultrahuman has sold approximately 800,000 smart rings worldwide. According to Kumar, the Abu Dhabi initiative represents the company’s first attempt to introduce a health algorithm at a national level. The long-term objective is to make the biological-age assessment available to residents across the UAE.

Despite its reputation as a smart-ring manufacturer, Ultrahuman says the model will not depend on any single type of wearable. Data from rings, wrist-worn devices, fitness straps, and smart patches could all contribute to the assessment, alongside conventional clinical biomarkers. The company also plans to make biological-age information accessible through government digital-health services, including TAMM and Sahatna.

Two Years of Research and Clinical Validation

Ultrahuman and ADPHC will spend the next two years developing and validating the model. Kumar said the eventual introduction of the service would take place in stages, although he did not disclose a specific launch date.

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The UAE is already an important market for Ultrahuman. Kumar told TechCrunch that the country ranks among the company’s 10 largest markets and generates approximately 4% to 5% of its total revenue. Ultrahuman has maintained a presence in the region for nearly five years, with customer retention reportedly around 25% higher than in its other markets.

However, the company's current user base does not necessarily represent the wider population. Kumar said most Ultrahuman customers fall between the ages of 25 and 43. A nationwide deployment would give the company an opportunity to apply its model to people from a much wider range of age groups.

How the Biological-Age Model Works

The technology has been developed using data already available to Ultrahuman. According to Kumar, the company combines users’ actual ages with wearable-derived physiological measurements and, in some cases, blood-test results. By examining how these health indicators tend to change over time, the system can identify patterns associated with aging and highlight differences from what would typically be expected at a particular age.

The distinction between chronological age and biological age is central to the approach. Chronological age refers to the number of years a person has lived, whereas biological age attempts to reflect the condition of the body based on measurable health indicators.

Kumar also clarified that Ultrahuman will not use UAE residents’ data to train the underlying model. Instead, the company will apply its existing algorithm to data within the UAE program. He added that Ultrahuman will not have access to personally identifiable information through the initiative.

Ultrahuman and Oura Pursue Preventive Healthcare in Abu Dhabi

Ultrahuman is not the only smart-ring company collaborating with Abu Dhabi on health-related technology. In May, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi announced a separate partnership with Oura, one of Ultrahuman’s principal competitors.

That initiative aims to combine Oura’s wearable data with the emirate’s longitudinal health records, initially concentrating on women’s health and cardiometabolic risks.

Kumar said Ultrahuman was not aware of another company working with Abu Dhabi’s authorities on a biological-age model specifically. Although he acknowledged that the government collaborates with multiple health technology providers, he declined to discuss the details of Oura’s separate agreement.

The two partnerships highlight a broader shift in the smart-ring industry. Ultrahuman and Oura are competing not only to sell wearable devices but also to develop health platforms that can turn continuous physiological monitoring into useful insights for preventive care.

For Ultrahuman, the Abu Dhabi project forms part of a wider strategy to build capabilities beyond its existing hardware business. The company is also exploring smart-ring technology that could run software directly on the device, potentially supporting applications ranging from AI-powered interactions to gaming.

If the UAE initiative succeeds, Ultrahuman could gain an opportunity to demonstrate how wearable-derived data and clinical measurements can be combined to support health monitoring on a much larger scale.

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WearOptimo, an AI-native physiological intelligence company developing next-generation Microwearable sensors for continuous health monitoring, today announced that the company's Founder and CEO, Dr. Mark Kendall, will unveil a new embodiment of the company's sensor at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, taking place at the ADNEC Centre in Abu Dhabi.

The embodiment designed with a sleek, minimal form factor represents the next evolution of WearOptimo's sensing platform which combines in-skin sensing with physiology-guided AI to provide a deeper, continuous understanding of an individual's physiological state, says a press release.

While conventional wearables rely largely on signals available at the skin's surface, WearOptimo's Microwearable interface reaches just a hair's width into the skin to capture multi-frequency, multi-channel bioimpedance signals, alongside temperature and motion. The company's proprietary AI engine is being developed to interpret these signals and translate them into individualized physiological insights across a range of health applications.

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"This new embodiment represents an important step toward our vision of giving people a deeper understanding of what is happening within their bodies and ultimately helping them make more informed decisions about their health," said Dr. Mark Kendall, Founder and CEO of WearOptimo. "The Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit provides an ideal forum to unveil this technology and engage with leaders across health and technology on how advances in biosensors and AI can shape the future of health."

WearOptimo's sensing platform has previously demonstrated the ability to detect hydration-related physiological changes in a 45-participant clinical study. The Microwearable outperformed serum osmolality, the blood-based gold standard, in detecting mild dehydration, providing clinical validation of the company's differentiated sensing and AI approach.

About WearOptimo

WearOptimo is an AI-native physiological intelligence company creating a new paradigm for wearables. Its integrated technology platform is built with its proprietary "hardware" and native AI. Its Microwearable features pain-free microelectrodes that reach just a hair's width into the skin, capturing signals conventional surface wearables cannot access. WearOptimo's physiology-guided AI engine translates these signals into real-time, individualized insights, making the human physiological state continuously readable, predictive, and actionable. Hydration and heat-risk intelligence is the company's first application, beginning in elite sport, resources and defense – and also other markets – to where hydration and heat management are critical to performance and safety.

Dr. Yangzhi Zhu, an Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, has led the development of a soft, reusable smart contact lens. The innovation is part of OCULAB, a tear-based bioelectronics platform designed to track biochemical changes noninvasively over time by analyzing biomarkers in tears. In this study, the platform was used to measure serotonin directly from tears as a proof-of-concept target for monitoring stress-related physiological changes.

Stress affects many aspects of physical and mental health, yet physiological changes associated with stress can be difficult to monitor objectively over time. Serotonin is an important signaling molecule involved in mood regulation and stress-related physiology and is also present in tears, making tear fluid an attractive, minimally invasive source of biochemical information. The original study was designed to explore whether a soft ocular bioelectronic platform could sensitively detect serotonin in this small and dynamic biofluid, reports Terasaki Institute.

The team developed the device, termed a lab-on-a-contact-lens by integrating  a thin, flexible sensor into a standard soft contact lens. The sensor uses a compound called ferrocene, which reacts with serotonin to generate a small electrical signal that can be measured and converted into a concentration reading. The work, published in Science Translational Medicine, showed the sensor could detect serotonin at concentrations as low as 72 picomolar, a level of sensitivity roughly 200 times beyond what's needed to measure typical human tear serotonin, allowing it to reliably pick up small changes.

In a mouse model of chronic stress, tear serotonin concentrations dropped while cortisol, a well-known stress hormone, rose in both blood and tears, echoing patterns seen in prior human stress research. In a small pilot study, tear samples collected from 10 volunteers during a standardized stress test showed a similar pattern, with serotonin levels falling during the stressful task and returning toward baseline afterward. The lens also maintained accurate readings across up to 400 uses over several days, suggesting it could be reused rather than replaced after each measurement.

Related New Contact Lenses Let You See in the Dark

"Tears carry more information about our bodies than most people realize," said Dr. Minwoo Kim, First Author and Postdoctoral Researcher at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation. "This lens lets us read some of that information without needles or lab visits, right from something people already wear."

"The eye provides a unique window into both ocular and systemic physiology," said Dr. Yangzhi Zhu, Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor at the Terasaki Institute. "Through our ocular bioelectronics program, we are developing soft ocular devices that can turn the tear film into a source of longitudinal biochemical information. Serotonin is an important proof-of-concept target, but the broader goal is to build wearable ocular systems capable of monitoring multiple biomarkers and physiological signals over time.”

The team's next step is to move from the current laboratory-connected platform toward a fully integrated wearable system. The team plans to integrate wireless components so the future version of the lens can acquire and transmit readings in real time while being worn, rather than requiring tear samples to be collected and analyzed afterward. Larger and more diverse human studies will also be needed to determine how tear serotonin relates to stress and mental health across different populations.  Long-term sensor stability, calibration in the dynamic tear environment, comfort, manufacturing reproducibility, and extended on-eye safety will also need to be established before the technology can move toward clinical use.

More broadly, the work establishes a framework for ocular bioelectronics, the integration of soft electronics, biochemical sensing, and wearable technologies with the ocular surface and tear film. Rather than viewing the contact lens solely as an optical device, the researchers envision it as a potential interface for continuously accessing physiological information in a minimally invasive manner.

“Our long-term vision is not simply to build a smart contact lens that measures one molecule,” Zhu said. “We want to establish tear bioelectronics as a broader platform for understanding dynamic physiology through the eye and, ultimately, for enabling more personalized and longitudinal approaches to health monitoring.”

By integrating soft contact-lens materials, electrochemical biosensing, flexible electronics, and future wireless capabilities, OCULAB represents a broader effort to transform the ocular surface into a noninvasive interface between the human body and digital health technologies.

Sweat contains valuable clues about what is happening inside the body. By measuring electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, wearable sensors could help researchers better understand the body's physiological responses during exercise or work in hot conditions. Because these measurements can be taken while people go about their normal activities, the technology may eventually support health monitoring without disrupting daily routines.

Developing a reliable wearable sensor, however, comes with technical challenges. Many existing devices use potentiometric sensors, which detect changes in electrical voltage associated with the concentration of a particular ion. These sensors depend on a reference electrode to maintain a stable electrical potential. Conventional printed reference electrodes can take a long time to settle into a stable state, limiting their usefulness for continuous monitoring in changing environments, reports Medical Lifesciences.

A research team at Tokyo University of Science in Japan has developed a wristwatch-style sensor designed to address this limitation. Led by Associate Professor Isao Shitanda of the university's Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the team incorporated a printed liquid-junction reference electrode that requires little initial adjustment. The findings were published online in ACS Omega on September 21, 2026. Takuma Fujisawa, a second-year master's student in the same department, also contributed to the study.

The compact device combines sodium- and potassium-selective electrodes with a liquid-junction reference electrode, a sweat-transport layer, and electronic components. A key feature is the use of silica gel within the liquid junction. The material allows water to pass into the electrolyte layer, helping the reference electrode reach a stable operating condition more quickly.

The researchers also developed a sample-transport layer made from fabric and superabsorbent fibers. Positioned over the sensing electrodes, this layer helps moisture reach the sensing area and move across it. Together, these components allow the sensor to collect ion-responsive signals while connected to a custom wristwatch unit. The electronics process the measurements, send data wirelessly, and save a local copy to a microSD card.

To assess the system outside the laboratory, the team tested it at an active construction site. One construction worker wore the device during a regular workday that included physical activity, rest breaks, meals, and drinking water. Over approximately two hours and 45 minutes, the sensor recorded signals responsive to sodium and potassium as the worker moved around the site.

The data were transmitted wirelessly to a host computer while also being stored on the watch itself. This demonstrated that the integrated system could collect and transfer sensor readings under everyday working conditions, rather than only in a controlled laboratory setting.

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Dr. Shitanda explained that the main contribution was not the invention of a new electrode material. Instead, the achievement was bringing together a printed electrode, a sample-transport mechanism, and a wireless measurement circuit in a wearable system and demonstrating that it could operate in a real-world environment.

“This technology could serve as a foundation for acquiring information about ions contained in sweat without interrupting work or exercise in construction sites, manufacturing plants, sports, and outdoor activities. In the future, by combining this information with data, such as sweat volume and water intake, it could be applied to health management and hydration support in hot environments,” says Dr. Shitanda.

There are still important steps to take before the technology can provide reliable quantitative measurements of sweat electrolytes. Further research, including controlled sweating experiments and additional validation, will be needed to establish how accurately the device measures sodium and potassium concentrations under different conditions.

Nevertheless, the study offers a promising starting point for practical wearable electrolyte monitoring. Since the electrodes can be manufactured using printing techniques, the approach may also help make production more affordable and scalable.

In the future, similar devices could find applications in construction, sports, outdoor work, and other settings where monitoring the body's response to heat and physical exertion is important. While the technology is not yet a substitute for established medical tests, it represents a step toward wearable sensors that can gather useful physiological information as people go about their daily lives.

A team of researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), led by Professor Hnin Yin Yin Nyein of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, has created a new wearable health sensor called HELP, short for heteromodal epidermal liquid-metal patch.

The device uses liquid-metal technology to monitor breathing patterns and heart activity simultaneously. Designed to be soft, flexible, and comfortable against the skin, the patch could eventually make continuous health monitoring more accessible to people with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, allowing them to track important health signals from home without invasive procedures, reports HKUST.

Chronic respiratory illnesses such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affect millions of people and contribute significantly to declining health and hospital admissions worldwide. Diagnosing and managing these conditions often requires assessments conducted in specialized medical facilities, making regular monitoring outside clinical settings challenging.

Wearable sensors could help bridge this gap by collecting health data during everyday activities. However, developing devices that perform reliably over long periods has proved difficult. A sensor must be sensitive enough to detect subtle movements associated with breathing and heart function while maintaining consistent readings during extended use.

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Liquid metals offer a potential solution because they combine electrical conductivity with exceptional flexibility. Unlike conventional rigid electronic materials, they can accommodate repeated bending and stretching while experiencing very little mechanical fatigue, making them attractive for skin-mounted wearable devices.

To manufacture HELP, the research team introduced a straightforward, scalable technique that uses stencil brushing to apply liquid metal patterns onto a prepared substrate. This manufacturing approach could simplify production, reduce costs, and make the technology suitable for large-scale manufacturing.

By combining a flexible design with simultaneous respiratory and cardiac monitoring, HELP represents a promising development in wearable healthcare technology. Further research and clinical validation will be important to establish its performance in everyday use and determine how effectively it can support long-term home monitoring.

Huawei is expanding the availability of its Watch D3 blood pressure monitoring smartwatch across the UK and Europe. Following its launch event in Munich earlier this month, the company is introducing the wearable to additional markets, accompanied by promotional discounts and complimentary gifts.

The Watch D3 represents Huawei's latest effort to improve wearable health monitoring. Its blood pressure measurement system combines a built-in micro-pump with a 25.5 mm inflatable airbag cuff, allowing the device to measure blood pressure using an approach similar to traditional cuff-based monitors, reports HC Newsroom.

First introduced globally on September 2, the smartwatch is now reaching European and UK customers. Pricing starts at £399.99 in the UK and €449 in Europe. Buyers can also benefit from a 12-month interest-free payment option, complimentary membership services, and a care package.

Huawei is adding extra incentives to the launch offer. Customers purchasing the Watch D3 will receive a pair of Huawei FreeBuds SE 4 ANC wireless earbuds and a black 22 mm HNBR replacement strap without the inflatable air cushion.

The smartwatch is available in three finishes: Mocha Gold, Light White, and Black. Those who prefer a different look can also choose a leather-composite bracelet strap.

For international users, the global edition includes CurvePay, which supports convenient contactless payment functions. This allows compatible transactions to be completed directly from the wrist, reducing the need to reach for a phone or wallet.

Related FDA Clears Hilo Band: First Cuffless BP Monitor for OTC Use

Huawei has also refined the watch's physical design. Compared with its predecessor, the Watch D3 is slimmer and features a slightly larger display. Its 1.92-inch AMOLED screen offers a claimed peak brightness of 3,000 nits, helping improve visibility in bright outdoor conditions.

Blood pressure tracking remains the device's central feature. The Watch D3 supports 24-hour ambulatory monitoring and automatic nighttime measurements. It also includes an ambulatory blood pressure study function designed to reduce disturbance during monitoring, along with blood pressure assessments before and after exercise.

The device additionally provides alerts related to changes in temperature and altitude, giving users more environmental information alongside their health measurements.

With its cuff-based blood pressure technology, upgraded display, and expanded payment capabilities, the Huawei Watch D3 combines health-focused features with everyday smartwatch functions. However, users should follow the manufacturer's guidance on measurement accuracy and remember that wearable readings do not replace professional medical assessment when symptoms or concerning results arise.

At Wednesday’s Connect 2026 showcase, Meta officially lifted the curtain on its newest wearable: a pair of AI glasses completely devoid of cameras. Officially dubbed the Ray-Ban Meta Audio, the device tackles head-on the privacy backlash that has plagued smart eyewear in recent years.

By stripping out the lenses and image sensors, Meta hopes to shed the infamous "creeper" reputation that haunted earlier iterations – where bad actors used hidden recording capabilities to film people without their knowledge or consent. Meta had previously tried to curb this by disabling the camera if anyone tampered with the recording LED, but public discomfort lingered, reports TechCrunch.

The new Ray-Ban Meta Audio pivots entirely to sound. Starting at $349 and crafted alongside long-time hardware partner EssilorLuxottica, the specs function essentially as open-ear smart headphones. Wearers can take calls, stream music or podcasts, get live speech translation, and chat directly with Meta’s newly minted AI assistant, Muse. It’s a move that places the frames in direct competition with screenless voice accessories like Apple’s AirPods.

"Once you get used to high-quality audio, it’s just something you want around all the time," CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted during his keynote, explaining that what started as an experiment eventually morphed into its own standalone product lineup.

Shedding the camera modules allowed Meta’s design team to trim down the bulk significantly. The frames weigh just 43 grams and come equipped with practical comfort tweaks like adjustable temple tips, swappable nose pads, and flexible overextension hinges. On the battery front, Meta promises up to 12 hours of playback on a single charge, stretching to 48 hours when paired with the included charging case.

Related Meta’s Muse Charm Gives AI Wearables a Tamagotchi Twist

Style options haven't been dialed back, either. Buyers can pick from 23 frame-and-lens combinations across two brand-new silhouettes: the retro "Clubmaster" and the structured, rectangular "Burbank." Prescription lens options remain available, and pre-orders officially open on October 13.

What Else Came Out of Connect 2026?

For those who do still want visual capture, Meta didn't abandon its standard lineup. The tech giant also unveiled the camera-equipped Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) line. Alongside the flagship Wayfarer, Meta is adding the classic Aviator and a cat-eye frame called the Zena. These feature an upgraded 12 MP camera capable of shooting 3K Ultra HD video, a six-microphone array, and up to nine hours of battery life.

To boost global appeal, Meta is expanding its international rollout and rolling out fresh celebrity partnerships – notably tapping global pop icon Lisa, following a previous campaign with Kylie Jenner.

Every model in the lineup will integrate with Meta’s Muse AI assistant. Meta also teased a roadmap of incoming features across the ecosystem, including:

• Dolby Atmos Capture for richer sound recording
• An automated feature that selects the sharpest image out of multi-frame bursts
• Manual toggles for portrait and landscape video orientation
• Assistive audio boosts designed for users with mild hearing loss
• Customizable gesture controls and fine-tuned audio profiles
• A new "private processing" architecture aimed at keeping user interactions hidden from Meta's internal servers

AI-powered wearable devices have become something of a running joke in the tech world. Products such as Friend have made some consumers skeptical about the idea of carrying an AI companion around with them.

Meta, however, is willing to give the concept another shot.

The company has unveiled Muse Charm, a small AI-powered wearable designed to keep users connected to Meta’s recently introduced personal AI assistant, Muse.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced the device during the company’s annual Connect event, saving it for a surprise “one more thing” reveal. The gadget is not quite ready for consumers yet. Zuckerberg said the company is still finalizing the internal component layout but expects Muse Charm to begin shipping in time for the December holiday season, according to Tech Crunch.

At first glance, the device looks more like a tiny digital companion than a conventional piece of technology. The palm-sized gadget can be carried in a pocket or attached to a keychain. A small built-in display shows a cute digital character called Jolly, which serves as the visual identity of the Muse AI assistant.

Users can interact with Muse by simply talking to the device. A fingerprint sensor on the corner allows them to activate the assistant without unlocking a smartphone or opening an app.

During his keynote, Zuckerberg described it as a way to put the entire Muse experience – including real-time voice interaction and its animated avatar – into a device small enough to hang from a keychain.

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The company believes the wearable could be particularly useful when users aren't wearing Meta's smart glasses. Instead of reaching for a phone, they can simply tap the device and start speaking to Muse. The assistant can also potentially respond to information about the user's surroundings and perform tasks on their behalf.

The design gives Muse Charm a distinctly Tamagotchi-like personality. Rather than feeling like another piece of serious-looking hardware, it resembles a small digital pet that happens to be powered by artificial intelligence.

That playful approach may also be strategic for Meta. Instead of betting heavily on another standalone AI gadget, the company can use Muse Charm as a relatively low-risk experiment in the growing AI wearable market.

More importantly, the device gives Meta another physical gateway to its AI assistant. If users become comfortable carrying Muse Charm everywhere, Meta could gain a new and more personal way to keep people interacting with its AI services throughout the day.

Whether consumers will embrace another always-available AI companion remains to be seen. But with Muse Charm, Meta appears determined to prove that AI wearables don't have to look like futuristic gadgets – they can be as simple, playful, and addictive as a tiny digital pet.

SiBionics, a Shenzhen-based Medtech company presented "See More, Act Earlier," connecting continuous sensing with future diabetes care, at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2026. Three exhibition chapters shaped this vision: "See More: Beyond Glucose," covering glucose, ketone and combined monitoring; "Act Earlier: From Insight to Intervention," exploring multimodal sensing and insulin delivery; and "Go Further: Realizing the Unimagined," looking toward broader biosensing applications.

The vision was further explored at the SiBionics industry symposium, "From Sensors to Integrated Care: Emerging Technologies Shaping the Future of Diabetes Management." The symposium was chaired by Prof. Mark Evans, of the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals, United Kingdom, and Dr. Guido Freckmann, of the Institute for Diabetes-Technology GmbH (IfDT), Germany, says a press release.

Prof. Karolina Kędzierska-Kapuza discussed CGM and individualized care in type 3c diabetes. Prof. Wei Qiang presented CGM accuracy findings and future multimodal sensing concepts. Prof. Andrej Janež explored continuous ketone monitoring in the GLP-1 era. Prof. Ahmad Haidar presented ketone monitoring research and the first findings of the SMART02 feasibility study on integrated glucose sensing and insulin delivery.

SMART02 evaluated an early prototype of niia signature, an investigational device jointly developed by PharmaSens and SiBionics since the two companies announced their collaboration in June 2025. niia signature will combine continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), insulin delivery and an automated glucose control (AGC) algorithm in one wearable patch. It aims to reduce the burden of managing separate devices for automated insulin delivery (AID).

Related Google to Add Insulin Resistance Tracking

The study addressed a central integration challenge: maintaining glucose measurement performance when insulin is delivered close to the sensor. Temporary interference after a bolus was uncommon overall and occurred mainly with doses of 10 units or more, where the probability was 20 to 25%. On average, the sensor signal fully recovered approximately 20 minutes after bolus delivery. In the second part of the study, the prototype was also tested together with the AGC algorithm developed by Prof. Ahmad Haidar. The PharmaSens niia patch pump, the SiBionics sensor and the AGC algorithm performed consistently throughout the study. The findings, also featured at the SiBionics booth, mark an early development milestone.

Together, the exhibition and symposium connected clinical needs with emerging technologies. Through niia signature, PharmaSens and SiBionics are exploring how integration could make future AID easier to wear and use. Further research is needed to establish its performance and clinical potential.

niia signature is an investigational device. It is not approved or cleared in any market and is not available for sale.

About SIBIONICS

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Shenzhen, SiBionics is a medical technology company specializing in CGM and multi-parameter health solutions, with nearly 700 professionals worldwide. Combining advanced sensor technology with AI-driven algorithms, the company develops accessible, reliable solutions for chronic disease management.

About PharmaSens

PharmaSens AG, a privately owned Swiss company, is dedicated to simplifying diabetes management and broadening the reach of insulin pump therapy. The PharmaSens team has a wealth of experience in diabetes care and medtech device engineering, having contributed to the development of multiple insulin pump generations.

A team led by University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers has developed a wearable wrist device powered by a machine-learning algorithm that can continually track changes in arm movement impairment caused by strokes. Monitoring changes throughout the entire rehabilitation process will allow clinicians to make real-time adjustments to therapy programs for tailored interventions and personalized care instead of the one-size-fits-all current standard.

"We are the first group to actually show that, using wearable data, we can extract information about patients' motor severity, which clinicians can actually use to determine whether their intervention is effective or not," says Sunghoon Ivan Lee, associate professor in the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences at UMass Amherst and corresponding author on the paper describing this new technology. The research was completed alongside colleagues from Washington University in St. Louis, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Harvard Medical School/Mass General Brigham.

Annually, more than 795,000 Americans experience strokes, with upper-limb mobility issues affecting up to 77% of patients immediately following the event. About 40% of patients continue to have chronic issues, posing a major limitation to independent living, reports Laura Marshall in U Mass – Amherst.

While physical therapy improves these mobility issues, it is not without its limitations. Currently, progress is measured by a clinician's observational assessment, which takes about 30 minutes. Because this is a time-consuming process, assessment typically occurs only pre- and post-rehabilitation.

“That means during that therapy process, neither the patient nor the therapist has a clear idea of how patients are responding to the treatments that they're receiving. Currently, clinicians aren't able to see if patients are responding to the prescribed exercises, and patients have no way of knowing how they are progressing,” says Lee.

With a wearable monitor, recovery data collection can be ongoing and occur outside of therapy sessions, allowing the therapist to make timely adjustments to treatment strategies for truly personalized rehabilitation.

Also, tracking movement in a patient's real-life environment may be more indicative of true performance, as opposed to movement that is artificially produced in a clinic. The wrist-wearable also captures movement at all times of day, versus at just one snapshot of time. And finally, patients may find that tracking their own recovery progress increases their engagement in the therapy practices and keeps them motivated.

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Lee is optimistic that this increased transparency will translate to improved therapy outcomes.

An accelerometer sensor in the device captures upper-limb movement, which is then interpreted by a machine-learning algorithm developed by Lee and his graduate student and the lead author on the paper, Ryan Wang.

"[Movement and impairment severity] are related because the less severe you are, the more likely you're going to move a lot, but they're not exactly the same," says Lee. "Increasing the use of the limbs-yes, we can encourage the person to make use of the limb more. But patients cannot make instant changes to motor severity through short-term behavior change."

Their model, described in Science Translational Medicine, was trained on accelerometer data and clinician assessment scores of subacute (one week to six months after a stroke) stroke patients and healthy individuals. They found that their algorithm was 40-50% more accurate-meaning a better reflection of the patient's true condition-compared to clinician evaluation.

In addition to the clinical application of using the device to inform personalized interventions, Lee's work demonstrated that the device has a strong research application. In recreating a previous study using their own digital biomarker instead of clinician observations, the researchers found that they generated statistically significant results with 50% fewer participants.

"We can get a clear idea of the effectiveness of the intervention using a lower sample size and far fewer resources," says Lee. This can expedite the research process and reduce costs."

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health. With a provisional patent filed, Lee is pursuing commercialization through the startup Lumid Health with support from UMass Amherst Institute for Applied Life Sciences' Translational Seed Award, the UMass Office of Technology Commercialization & Ventures' (OTCV) Technology Development Fund and participation in the NSF I-Corps Training Program.

To further develop the technology, Lee's research partners are currently recruiting stroke patients for a study held at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston. Those interested in participating can see the inclusion criteria and apply here.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Marani Health’s remote maternal monitoring system.  The company is now eyeing commercialization of its tool for addressing maternity care ‘deserts’ across the US by providing a homecare option for fetal monitoring.

Marani’s Mwrap is worn around the abdomen and uses embedded electrodes to capture fetal and maternal heart signals that are transmitted to the Minnesota-based company’s digital platform.

Healthcare professionals can remotely analyze complete tracings via a site, while patients can use Mwrap's companion app to record fetal movements and monitor average heart rate findings, reports Medical Device Network.

By extending the reach of care teams and lowering the number of monitoring sessions conducted in a conventional clinical setting, Mcare assists health systems and health plans in facilitating prescribed maternal monitoring outside of hospitals and clinics.

For patients, Marani’s tool potential implies fewer travels to a hospital or clinic for recommended monitoring - a consideration the company said should benefit people facing vast travel distances, transportation hurdles, or limited access to prenatal care.

Digital midwifery is being advanced by a variety of wearable technology and remote monitoring systems for expectant and new mothers. However, research by maternity-focused NGO March of Dimes suggests that one in three US counties remains a maternity care desert, while 5.8 million women and 358,000 infants live in counties without complete access to maternity care.

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According to the report, inhabitants of maternity care deserts must drive almost three times longer to receive care, and more than half of US counties lack a hospital that offers labor and delivery services.

According to Marani's CEO, Ann Holder, the FDA clearance "fundamentally changes" the firm's current condition, moving it from being a developing company to one that is currently getting ready for Mcare's commercialization in 2027.

“We now have a cleared product, a path to commercialization, and a platform that can enable health systems to extend maternal monitoring beyond the hospital or clinic and into the home,” Holder, said.

With FDA clearance in hand, Holder highlighted that the company is now focused on bringing Mcare to market and building partnerships that can “drive adoption at scale”.

“We see a significant commercial opportunity as health systems and health plans look for new ways to extend maternal monitoring beyond traditional care settings,” Holder continued.

Marani’s system is part of the remote monitoring market, which is growing at a CAGR of 1.9% and forecast to reach a valuation of around $25.7bn in 2035, as per GlobalData analysis. Other participants in the remote maternal care monitoring market includes Owlet and Pulsenmore, with equipment for the continuous monitoring of a baby’s heart rate and oxygen saturation levels, and doing at-home ultrasound scans, respectively.

People with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who use basal insulin may have a significantly lower risk of death and cardiovascular complications when they use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), according to new research presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy.

The study found that people with T2D who started using CGM had a 44% lower risk of death from any cause after one year compared with those who did not use CGM. After two years, their risk of death remained 35% lower, reports News Medical.

Researchers say this is the first study to show an association between modern CGM technology and a reduced risk of death in people with T2D treated with basal insulin, either alone or alongside non-insulin diabetes medications. The study also found that CGM users had fewer major cardiovascular events.

Around 7% of the estimated 405 million people living with T2D worldwide – nearly 30 million people – require insulin therapy. Maintaining healthy blood glucose levels can be challenging, and prolonged high blood sugar can increase the risk of serious complications such as heart disease, stroke, and vision loss.

CGM devices use a small sensor worn on the skin to continuously measure glucose levels. The readings are transmitted to a smartphone, dedicated reader, or insulin delivery system, allowing users to monitor glucose throughout the day and make informed decisions about diet, physical activity, and insulin treatment.

While CGM has already been shown to improve blood glucose control and reduce episodes of hypoglycemia, its potential impact on long-term complications and survival among people with T2D has been less clear.

What the Study Found

Researchers from Abbott and collaborating institutions analyzed anonymized electronic health records from the Truveta platform, which contains data from more than 140 million Americans.

The study included 27,870 adults with T2D receiving basal insulin between January 2017 and March 2024. Researchers compared 13,935 people who began using CGM with an equal number of people who did not use CGM.
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The two groups were carefully matched using 29 characteristics, including age, sex, ethnicity, diabetes duration, HbA1c levels, diabetes complications, other medical conditions, medications, healthcare use, and blood glucose monitoring.

At 12 months, death from any cause occurred in 1.16% of CGM users, compared with 2.09% of non-users, representing a 44% lower risk. At 24 months, mortality was 2.12% among CGM users versus 3.26% among non-users, a 35% lower risk.

CGM users also experienced fewer major cardiovascular events, including heart attack, heart failure, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and peripheral artery disease. The risk was 26% lower after one year and 24% lower after two years.

The most notable finding involved heart failure hospitalizations. These were 54% lower after one year and 47% lower after two years among CGM users. Recurrent major cardiovascular events were also 35% lower at one year and 36% lower at two years.

Study lead Professor Jochen Seufert of University Hospital of Freiburg said the findings suggest CGM could make a meaningful difference to the long-term health of people with insulin-treated T2D and may help reduce the risk of premature death.

However, the researchers caution that the study was observational and cannot prove that CGM directly caused the lower risk of death or cardiovascular events. Although the participants were matched across 29 factors, other unmeasured differences may have influenced the results.

The researchers also noted that the findings may not apply to every person with T2D using basal insulin. Larger prospective studies will be needed to confirm these results.

If confirmed, the findings could strengthen the case for expanding access to CGM technology among people with type 2 diabetes who use basal insulin.

Georgia Tech engineers have developed a wireless networking system that enables wearable technology and tiny implantable sensors and actuators to connect with one another by using the human body to convey data.

Because of their system, devices can cooperate like never before, sensing in one area of the body and causing a therapeutic reaction in another, possibly by activating a nerve or releasing medication.

Described Sept. 24 in the journal Science, their communication method is expandable to include multiple interconnected devices across the body, even deep inside the stomach, reports Joshua Stewart in Georgia Tech.

“With our system, you can now place sensors in the best possible place to detect a biological signal and place actuators in the best possible place to perform a therapeutic action,” said Alex Abramson, the study’s senior author and an assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. “They don't need to be connected, aligned, or even near each other; they can just send signals to each other through the surrounding tissue.”

The researchers aimed to imitate the same level of connectedness the body achieves through the nervous system. They call their invention SWANS for Smart Wireless Autonomous Networking System.

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According to Abramson, the degree to which wearable technology and implants can cooperate has historically been constrained by our bodies' poor ability to transmit conventional wireless signals like Bluetooth or NFC. Large antennae and a lot of power are also needed for those communication, therefore implants need to be big enough to fit those parts.

By utilizing the inherent ionic conductivity of bodily tissue as the link between devices, SWANS eliminates these restrictions.

To enable selective activation, each implant is designed to react to electrical pulses of a particular voltage and duration that are transmitted from one device to another through the tissue. Additionally, they can be configured to synchronize data from various sensors both within and outside the body in order to initiate a possible therapeutic action.

“I’ve always been passionate about creating devices that improve patient quality of life,” said Ramy Ghanim, a Ph.D. student and first author of the Science study. “Automation improves outcomes and simplifies treatment regimens for patients.”

In their study, the researchers demonstrated dual-limb motor control in a rat by coordinating a full-body network of sensors and neural interfaces. Their sensors detected when the rat’s front paw moved and autonomously triggered another device to stimulate and contract the muscle in the hind leg, simulating the animal’s natural walking pattern.

SWANS is designed to transmit only small amounts of data between and among devices — the presence or absence of something or a yes/no trigger for some action. Larger data exchanges or heavy computation happens on an external wearable hub that can coordinate sensor readings from implants and direct therapeutic actions by others.

Imagine a clinical trial in 2036. Two hundred participants wearing sleek, sensor-laden wearables go about their daily routines while real-time data on their heart rate, blood pressure, and hormone levels flood into an AI engine. Doses of a novel cardiovascular medication are continuously calibrated for each patient, while virtual health assistants explain complex results in plain language.

For over a decade, technophiles have envisioned decentralized clinical trials where volunteers rarely need to set foot inside a hospital. The surge in consumer wearables – smartwatches, wristbands, smart clothing, and adhesive patches-fueled hopes for a rapid transformation. Packed with accelerometers, gyroscopes, photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors, and barometers, these devices capture physical activity, heart rate variability, body temperature, and sleep cycles, reports Nature.

Proponents point to undeniable advantages: higher patient retention, better access for remote communities, substantial cost reductions, and richer, around-the-clock data. Continuous remote monitoring provides an authentic look into a patient’s everyday life – far more accurate than a brief snapshot taken during a stressful clinic visit.

Tangible Proof in Cardiovascular Care

Cardiology has spearheaded the integration of wearables, accounting for nearly 29% of smartwatch-assisted trials, followed by neurology (21.8%) and oncology (11.5%).

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A landmark study led by Dr. Dipak Kotecha at the University of Birmingham highlighted this potential. Researchers used consumer Fitbit trackers alongside traditional methods to compare the efficacy of digoxin and bisoprolol in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Powered by 150 million data points, the trial proved for the first time that digoxin was just as effective as standard β-blockers – a conclusion that would have been impossible without continuous remote metrics.

Moreover, wearables can save lives. Real-time AI analysis can instantly flag dangerous vital sign anomalies, triggering immediate medical intervention. Economically, avoiding frequent on-site visits slashes trial expenses – which often run upward of $10 million for Phase III studies.

Why Has Progress Been So Slow?

Despite the undeniable promise, the digital overhaul of clinical research remains a gradual evolution rather than a sudden revolution. Data from ClinicalTrials.gov showed that drug trials incorporating wearables grew from under 30 in 2014 to a modest 128 in 2024.

The primary bottlenecks aren't hardware limits; they stem from real-world execution, regulation, and trust:

• Technical Vulnerability: Georgia Mitsi, CEO of Mirawell Health, experienced this firsthand during an epilepsy drug trial. An unexpected firmware update crashed the seizure-tracking app, forcing device recalls and technical support interventions that risked patient dropout.
• Regulatory Hurdles: Agencies like the US FDA and European Medicines Agency require rigorous validation. Devices must prove pinpoint accuracy, reliability across diverse demographics, and a direct link to meaningful clinical endpoints (such as pain reduction or disease progression).
• Privacy & Ethics: Mounting concerns surround data privacy, cyber security, and the growing influence of big tech corporations in personal healthcare.

As AstraZeneca’s Martin Cowie notes, successfully scaling wearable technology in clinical research isn't just about accumulating vast piles of data – it requires building robust, clinically validated systems that regulators, researchers, and patients can trust.

Around 50 million adults in the U.S. live with hearing loss. Only about one in five of those diagnosed seek treatment. The reasons are well known: hearing aids are expensive, can be uncomfortable, and still carry a stigma. Legato wants to remove all three barriers at once. In August 2026, the startup emerged from stealth with $12 million in funding and its first product, Legato Frames. No earpieces. No visible device. Just a pair of glasses.

The Technology Behind It

Legato Frames look like ordinary eyeglasses. The hearing system sits in the arms: microphones, speakers, and hearing-assistance electronics, driven by AI-based audio processing. The company calls them the world's first AI-powered hearing glasses and says they deliver hearing performance comparable to traditional hearing aids.

The technology is protected by four granted patents, with more than 20 applications pending. Legato has not yet released full technical specifications, such as battery life or fitting details.

Hearing as a Style Choice

What sets Legato apart is less a single sensor than a change of perspective. “We wanted to turn a hard-to-swallow medical device into a product people are actually excited to wear,” says co-founder and CEO Mehul Trivedi. Investor Kittu Kolluri of Neotribe Ventures puts it this way: while hearing aids have focused on being invisible, Legato treats hearing assistance as a style choice.

The go-to-market plan builds on that idea. Legato Frames will be sold as over-the-counter hearing aids, available online and through selected eye care providers in the U.S. Bought through an eye care clinic, they may even qualify for vision insurance. The frames will come in several styles and cost a fraction of the price of traditional hearing aids. The launch is planned for this fall.

About Legato

Legato was founded in 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts, by product veterans from Bose and Apple who previously worked on hearing and wearable technologies. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Mehul Trivedi. Its $12 million funding comes from Neotribe Ventures, Listen, and Village Global. Legato targets a global hearing device market of around $15 billion.

Meta’s latest spatial computing device reimagines virtual reality by shrinking the hardware down to a pair of 100-gram, open-sided glasses – roughly the weight of a deck of cards.

Arriving in Spring 2027 for $1,299.99, the Meta VR Glasses ditch heavy head straps by splitting the hardware into two parts: the lightweight glasses hold the display and sensors, while a pocketable tethered puck houses the battery, storage, and Qualcomm Snapdragon Reality Elite processor, reports Meta.

Core Hardware & Display Specs

• Visuals: Dual micro-OLED panels delivering 5K resolution (37 pixels per degree) paired with compact pancake lenses and Dolby Vision support.
• Audio: Integrated Dolby Atmos spatial audio built into the frames.
• Battery: Up to 3 hours of continuous playback via the tethered puck, featuring 45W fast charging.
• Control: Screen-free navigation powered by built-in Meta AI, eye-tracking, and hand gestures (no physical controllers required).
• Work & Play: Includes full-color passthrough, virtual multi-monitor desktop capabilities, surface-projected typing, 75+ launch gesture games, and Xbox Cloud Gaming support.

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Immersive Cinema & Front-Row Sports

Meta is positioning the glasses as the ultimate portable theater:

• IMAX & 3D Streaming: It’s the first IMAX Enhanced certified VR device. Disney+ will offer select 3D titles (including Marvel and Star Wars films) with themed virtual environments. Paramount+, Peacock, and HBO Max will also debut 3D streaming catalogs.
• Future Blockbusters: Meta is partnering with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Vision to bring exclusive 3D releases to the platform in 2027.
• Live Sports: Partnerships with ESPN, MLB, NBC Sports, TNT, and UFC will deliver over 100 live 8K, 180-degree immersive sporting events annually.

Photorealistic Hologram Calls

The device also introduces Hologram Calling. Using built-in sensors, the glasses generate a photorealistic 3D avatar that mirrors your real-time facial expressions. Compatible with standard calling apps like WhatsApp and Zoom, callers using Meta VR Glasses see 3D spatial holograms in their physical environment, while non-VR users see the rendering on their standard smartphone or computer screens.

Screenless health trackers are having a massive moment right now. Everywhere you look, brands like Oura, Ultrahuman, Google, and Garmin are pitching the same dream: continuous, round-the-clock body tracking without a glowing screen constantly begging for your attention.

The problem? Once you strip away the screen, you also lose most of the day-to-day convenience that makes smartwatches so useful.

Parisian wearable startup Circular is trying to bridge that gap. Announced on the show floor at IFA in Berlin, the new Circular Ring 3 Pro and Circular Ring 3 Slim bring a few major smartwatch features directly to your finger – most notably, contactless payments and localized buzz alerts, reports CNet.

By adding NFC tap-to-pay and bringing back the original model's built-in haptic motor, Circular wants to do more than just passively log your vitals. Your ring can now nudge your finger for phone notifications, medication times, and health warnings – no phone screen required.

What’s New on the Health Front?

Alongside the physical upgrades, Circular is expanding its health metrics to include blood pressure tracking, estimated glucose trends, and deeper sleep breakdowns.

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There's an important caveat here, though: outside of an FDA-cleared ECG feature for AFib detection, most of these new tracking capabilities lack regulatory clearance. That means they're purely designed for spotting personal baseline trends—something to chat about with your doctor—rather than official diagnostic tools.

Circular’s biggest advantage over competitors like Oura or Whoop has always been its business model. Out of the box, you get full access to your metrics and "Kira," Circular's AI health assistant, completely subscription-free. That said, Circular seems to be flirting with paid tiers; a few advanced medical features in the app currently carry a "limited time" tag, suggesting paywalls could be coming down the line.

Pro vs. Slim: How Do They Compare?

While both models include the headlining NFC payments, haptic alerts, and standard health tracking, their designs cater to very different preferences:

• Size and Fit: The Ring 3 Slim lives up to its name. It’s noticeably narrower and thinner than previous generations, putting its profile right up against ultra-compact options like the Oura Ring 4. The Pro, on the other hand, shaves off a little height compared to its predecessor, but keeps a heftier, thicker profile.
• Build Quality: The Pro sports a premium solid-titanium chassis, whereas the Slim uses a biocompatible resin coated in titanium to keep the weight down.
• Battery Life: You get a little extra longevity with the thicker hardware. Circular estimates up to 12 days of battery life for the Pro, compared to a still-respectable 10 days on the Slim.
• Exclusive Sensors: If you want ECG checks or blood pressure monitoring, you'll have to go with the Pro – the Slim leaves those sensors out to maintain its smaller footprint.

The Catch

Circular is pushing the envelope on ring functionality, but it's still playing catch-up on the software side. Tech juggernauts like Google and established players like Oura have spent years refining their algorithms, actionable recovery advice, and software ecosystems.

As for cost and release dates? Circular is keeping those details under wraps for now. Pre-order timing and final retail prices are slated for announcement in the coming months.