Android Wear
IN PHOTO: David Singleton, director of engineering for Android, talks about Android Wear wearable computing during his keynote address at the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco June 25, 2014. REUTERS

Aria, an add on band or a silicone module can bring gesture control to the smartwatches and currently it is only compatible with Android Wear devices and the Pebble Time, according to reports.

Smartwatches that allows users to make or receive calls, get timely notifications and keep track of their health when paired with a smartphone are currently controlled by voice or touch commands, as per a report on Tech Times.

Aria can change the way smartwatches are used by smartwatch owners as it can be clipped on to Android Wear smartwatches or Pebble Time watch and can be controlled through simple gestures, reports Tech Times. "Aria is a hands-free remote that recognizes your finger movements from the wrist. You wear it, calibrate it and it will work," the Tech Times report quoted Aria, as saying.

Aria for Pebble Time Watch is priced at $69 and can connect directly to the smartwatch without a Bluetooth connection or battery, reports Tech Times. Aria for Android Wear comes at a price of $169 and will have a battery and Bluetooth connectivity. The Android Wear model of Aria will be available with an SDK which is compatible with iOS apps, as per the Tech Times report.

A Tech Crunch report quoted Alfredo Belfiori, founder of Deus Ex Technology, the startup firm behind Aria saying, the Android Wear model of Aria will be the SDK that will allow users to use the module with most Android Wear smartwatches and integrate gesture controls into apps.

The add-on band is equipped with the latest sensors that can detect various movements and a user can customize gestures to carry out a particular function with the help of a configuration app, as per the report on Tech Times. Aria can be clipped at the rear of the watchband making it invisible. The product is likely to be launched on Kickstarter in the coming weeks, reports Tech Times.

The gesture control additions will definitely make user’s interaction with their smartwatch more convenient as the hardware inside Aria band can track movements of the tendons in your wrist and translate them into appropriate action on the smartwatch, according to a report on FrenchTribune.com.

(For feedback/comments, mail the writer at pragyan.ibtimes@gmail.com)

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