What you need to know
- Oura announced that it has acquired Doublepoint, a company that deals in AI-driven technology for biometrics and gesture controls.
- Oura states that it has looked at ways of merging Doublepoint’s technology with its health-focused mindset to improve the user experience with “quiet, helpful features.”
- The company, including its CEO, Tom Hale, has said little about what users can expect from Oura’s gesture controls and other features.
Oura officially announced that it has acquired a company that “specializes” in AI-driven technology, and one of those technologies includes gesture controls.
The company revealed in a press release its acquisition of Doublepoint, a Helsinki‑based company, per Oura. While AI is what drives Doublepoint’s tech, Oura states its work will also aid biometrics and “gesture recognition technology.” This last part is what’s got people talking, as Oura sees this acquisition as a way to help the user experience by allowing them to control their devices with “simple movements.”
Experiences with the user at the center is where Oura states it’s setting its sights moving forward. According to its post, “Doublepoint’s tech helps devices understand small hand movements, so interactions feel faster and more natural across different interfaces.” Oura took a look at how it could merge these capabilities with its strong health-focused ones.
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It concluded that Doublepoint’s tech could help facilitate “quiet, helpful features” for users and Oura’s smart rings that work in the background without becoming a hindrance. Oura is not only looking at Doublepoint’s work with gesture controls, but also voice-powered features, as well, for its future devices. Oura refrained from saying too much in its announcement post, just like its CEO, Tom Hale, refused to say much during an interview with Bloomberg (via Android Authority).
Hale said, “This is about a core capability that we can imagine as AI and different kinds of modalities and user interaction, as gestures become more and more important.”
Oura isn’t interested in slowing down
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
Oura has (and seemingly always will be) remained firmly focused on user health. Bringing Doublepoint into the fold will likely yield some interesting features, but we’ll just have to wait a while until we know for sure. In the meantime, Oura dropped a Preventive Health update that brought Cumulative Stress and a new study. Cumulative Stress was said to help users understand how their chronic stress is affecting their bodies.
The company’s research shows that, if left unchecked, high levels of stress can lead to severe issues, such as fatigue and burnout. This update also included a Blood Pressure Profile study. Available in Oura Labs, the goal of this study was to help identify potential risks of hypertension. Let’s also not forget about Oura’s major product expansion in January: a Ring 4 charging case.
Android Central’s Take
I’ve never dabbled in a smart ring before, but I’ve read what my colleague Derrek Lee has had to say about them. Oura is incredibly focused on helping users understand their health and the many ways of improving it. Realistically, our health is important. If we’re down and out, we’re not doing anyone—like our loved ones—any good. From understanding your blood pressure to understanding why you’re always so tired, Oura’s smart ring and its app are your best friends. When these gesture controls arrive, I’m going to be very interested in seeing what purpose they serve, and how the user experience raises the bar.
