Headphones and earbuds have, over the last couple of years, become staples of this fast-paced world for good reason. The little audio gear essentials can do a multitude of tasks with just the push of a tactile button or pinch gesture. They can trigger smart assistant support for a smarter you, and if this concept were to be imagined, they can give you a pair of smart eyes, too.
The idea of a pair of earbuds with integrated cameras is not new, as Emil Lukas imagined, and now another concept reinforces the merit in having a pair of lenses on earbuds. Dubbed Lightwear, the earbuds look something straight out of a sci-fi flick, but underneath, they are a pair of smart assistant earphones that enhance your environmental perception in real time.
Designer: Suosi Design
Touted as the world’s first AI-powered earphones, Lightwear comes with a set of HD camera lenses to expand the sense perception as a vision module to interpret the surroundings and deliver the desired result. One can detail them via voice command about any information required in real time, and the buds respond with a detailed set of instructions or navigation guidance. Having gesture control support, the buds can control the connected home devices remotely using just gesture commands. All the data fed into the smart data system is end-to-end encrypted and stored locally. For enhanced privacy and protection, the sensitive data is automatically cleared on a scheduled cycle.
Compared to Emil’s version, these earbuds have a very downplayed camera presence, which I prefer. They look and feel just like any normal earbud, but have a function that makes them stand out from most pairs of earbuds that have the predictable features. Unlike other AI-powered earbuds, these stand true to their name as they come with the added visual apparatus to put forth better results. The use of AI functions is not limited to the earbuds, since the charging case does the same. This removes the use-case scenario to just when the earbuds are being worn. Loaded with highly sensitive microphones, the AI features can be triggered anytime the user wants. Privacy is also taken care of, as the user can opt to activate the fingerprint unlock module to prevent any unauthorized use.
These have an over-the-ear design, reminiscent of the way IEMs sit flush on the ears. The battery resides in those lobes, and although the designers don’t specifically talk about the usage time, these should last longer than TWS earbuds. Nor is there a specific word about the sound quality, ANC levels, or the app features. But then it’s just a concept centred on the form factor and usability.
