Have you ever wished for high-tech tangle free earbuds? The German design team Bragi LLC has been developing an all around amazing in-ear device that is multifaceted. Nikolaj Hviid, the head of the operation, corralled la crème de la crème of designers and web gurus to further develop his idea. The Dash has been crowdsourcing on Kickstarter to reach its goal to deliver a cutting edge headset experience for users.
The Dash’s versatility is due to its many capabilities. The Bluetooth 4.0 with APT-X has passive noise isolation, audio transparency, and an earbone microphone.
The music playback holds up to 4 GB. Users can sync music via the 2.0 USB and sensor data from USB and Bluetooth. Its intuitive controls allow for easy adjustment of commands. The left earbud is for tracking the workout, while the right earbud can be manipulated to adjust all audio including music and phone calls. Music can be streamed from the phone through the sensors to the headset. The speakers have an impedance of 16 Ω, an output of 10 mW RMS, and 16 bit stereo audio format. The response bandwidth is 20 to 20,000 Hz.
During workouts, users can track their performance and measure their vital signs, bodily needs, calories burned, body temperature, and exercise goals. The users can keep track of their performance in real time through various third-party apps. The earbuds measure the distance, speed, steps, time, altitude, and other factors during the workout. Users can share the progress of their workouts via social media through the apps.
Internally speaking, The Dash has an analog frontend with a 22-bit ADC. It has a digital 32-bit ARM signal processor for permanent and on demand connection. The headset has a 100-mHa lithium polymer battery that can play music constantly for up to 4 hours on a full charge. Users can recharge through the USB, and it takes less than an hour to recharge. Its internal sensors include a three-axis accelerometer, an ambient microphone, a thermometer, a red and IR LED optical sensor, and five field capacitive sensors. The headset can even work without having a connected smartphone. The headset is shock resistant and relatively water resistant.
Bragi’s stretch goals #1 and #2 of $1,500,051 have been achieved to cover all costs to create a carrying case to charge the device and to have advanced phone control over the device. Bragi has greatly surpassed its original end goal of $260,000, raising $2,015,060 to date! The company hopes to set The Dash into full-scale production by November. The retail price is tentatively set at $179.
Story via Kickstarter
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