The Apple company. AAPL has filed a new patent that could show us the direction it wants to take the Pro Vision in. This is an additional accessory that users will need to use together with the mixed reality headset.
What happened: Apple is developing a “Smart Ring” that could provide users with a more immersive augmented reality (AR) experience, according to a new patent filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO.)
The tech giant has been granted a patent for a “finger-mounted device with sensors and haptics”. This device, which some call the “iRing,” is designed to enhance user interaction with digital elements in AR.
Patent details suggest the device is less about the ring itself and more about integrating users into an Apple AR world. The ring has sensors on each fingertip, providing a better fit for manipulating AR objects.
See also: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang uses these AI tools “almost every day” for research
Apple’s patent indicates that using wearable devices such as gloves, currently used to control electronic equipment, can pose a challenge.
The company suggests that a finger-mounted device could collect input from a user’s fingers as they interact with surfaces in their environment and provide haptic feedback during these interactions.
If someone throws a virtual ball at you while you’re wearing Apple Vision Pro and other wearables, touch sensors in your fingertips could mimic the sensation of catching it.
The device can also report information to the system, including how firmly a user presses against objects or the lateral movement of the finger.
The patent is credited to 12 inventors, including Paul X. Wang, known for his previous work on haptic haptic feedback for the Apple Pencil.
Because matter: The development of the “Smart Ring” comes on the heels of Apple’s recent launch of the Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset that was praised as “the second most impressive technology after the iPhone.”
Despite some criticism regarding weight and battery life, the Vision Pro has been touted as a potential successor to the iPad. The “Smart Ring” could potentially improve the user experience of the Vision Pro, further solidifying Apple’s position in the AR market.
This comes amid criticism from competitors such as Meta Platform Inc. HALF CEO Marco Zuckerbergwho rejected comparisons between his criticisms of the Vision Pro and the previous one Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer’s iPhone dismissal.
Check out more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.
Read next: Google CEO Sundar Pichai admits Gemini AI mistakes are ‘completely unacceptable’: ‘No AI is perfect… we made mistakes’
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with help from Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo created using Dall-E 3