Speak To This AI-Enhanced Smart Ring to Arrange Your Ideas

Every individual possesses an internal dialogue. Whether you’re on the train, biking, or showering, you’re likely pondering the upcoming day, your to-do list, or reflecting on a recent conversation. Much of this mental chatter remains in our minds, often forgotten or dismissed as the train arrives at its destination. But what if you could have all these thoughts neatly recorded in one location, ready for you to review later?

This is the vision of a new venture named Sandbar, which has introduced the Stream Ring, an AI-enhanced smart ring. The company has emerged from stealth mode after two years of development, co-founded by Mina Fahmi and Kirak Hong. Both have a background in CTRL-Labs and later at Meta, following the acquisition of the neural interface startup. They have successfully raised $13 million in venture funding.

A “Mouse for Voice”

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

The device is the Stream Ring, designed to be worn on your index finger. Simply lift your hand and speak into the ring, allowing for whispers in noisy environments without others overhearing. It doesn’t store audio from your interactions; rather, similar to many current AI-enabled wearables, it converts your spoken words into text, which you can later access within the Stream app.

“We consider this to be the voice version of a mouse because it addresses numerous challenges associated with voice interaction,” Fahmi explains in a plain office setting in Manhattan. “We envision it as a tool used while the phone is away and earbuds are in—this allows for immediate interaction without the need for a trigger phrase.”

It features a capacitive sensor on the ring’s flat edge, with a tap-and-hold function enabling you to record thoughts without an AI assistant interrupting. If the assistant replies, a simple tap on the sensor will terminate the interaction. The hardware will be waterproof upon release, eliminating concerns about using it in rain or during workouts.

Additionally, the Stream functions as a media controller, allowing you to tap once to play or pause music, double-tap to skip tracks, or swipe for volume adjustments. If, for some reason, Sandbar ceases operations and its AI service goes offline, you’ll still have a functional media controller instead of a piece of hardware that quickly becomes e-waste. Currently, it does not include health-tracking functionalities like most smart rings available today.