The enticing Mudra Band is a gesture control wristband for Apple Watch. The gadget, the world’s first wrist-worn brain-to-device interface, won Best Wearable status at January’s CES conference. Mudra Band wearers can use finger gestures (not necessarily every finger gesture) to control their Apple Watch. Upgrade!
Mudra Band’s Scary-Good Science
Mudra Band connects with any Apple Watch Series 3 or above, and iPhone 7 and above. Setup is simple: just attach the band to your watch, then pair the devices with Bluetooth. After that, sensors in the wristband take over. The sensor bank reads your finger movements, then delivers the instructions to your watch.
Though impressive, the technology involved is, in some ways, dystopian and horrifying. The wristband works by reading neural signals (or “biopotentials”) as they travel from your brain, through your nerves, and out to your hand. Mudra Band has patented the SNC sensors, which deliver signals to “deep learning AI algorithms [which] decipher the signal pattern and classify which finger is being moved.”
If this prospect terrifies you into sci-fi fantasies of relinquishing motor control over your fingers to your rogue wristwatch, which then sends you on an involuntary murder spree, you’re not alone. Granted, the possibility of becoming an Apple-controlled murder zombie seems remote. And of course, the technology is pretty cool. It’s also super extensive, and Mudra is not shy about sharing it. (I just don’t have the bandwidth to cover it all here — nor do I really understand it.)
Practicality
Mudra’s (genuinely funny) marketing content focuses on the watchband giving the user superpowers. It is a cool effect, and the one-handed utility makes sense. You generally never have to touch a normal wristwatch — why should you have to touch your Apple Watch so much?
The simplicity of the gestural method makes multiple functions work with Mudra Band. Our recommendations in parentheses: answer or reject calls (reject, obvi), control music (turn up), and manage notifications (turn off).
And Mudra Band looks just as sleek as any Apple Watch Band. It adjusts to fit wrists and fits bezels from 38-44 mm. There’s no gray area in the color department: choose between black and white.
Secure the Band: Availability & Purchasing
Mudra Band, the watchband that reads and interprets your neural signals, costs $180 MSRP. It wasn’t available at the time of writing, but it was primed: worldwide shipping is estimated to start in June 2021.
