Smart Wearables for Smart Buildings and Personal AI

Smart wearables are rapidly evolving from simple fitness trackers to full-fledged personal assistants, often aiming to interact seamlessly with smart environments. For example, modern gym equipment can pair with wearables: Apple’s GymKit lets an Apple Watch tap an NFC reader on a treadmill or bike and automatically sync workout datasupport.apple.com. The Watch then uses its sensors and the equipment’s data (like speed or resistance) to give more accurate stats. Such integration means gyms and fitness centers can adjust workouts and record performance per-user automatically. More broadly, smart buildings increasingly use wearables as IoT nodes: employee badges or wearable tags can control access, track location, and even adjust building systems. For instance, Hologram’s smart-building blog notes “IoT sensors can be integrated into employee badges or wearable devices, providing seamless and secure access while generating valuable data on space utilization”hologram.io. In hospitals, Siemens reports that wearable patient tags can monitor vital signs and then automatically adjust the recovery room (lighting, HVAC, etc.) for optimal healingnews.siemens.co.uk. In offices, one could imagine similar tech: a wearable might signal the HVAC system to warm your desk when you arrive, or your badge could silently book conference rooms as you schedule meetings. Such environmental integration—personalized climate, lighting, booking and security—will be a key trend for wearables in smart buildingshologram.ionews.siemens.co.uk.

Wearable AI Assistants: Pins, Rings, Pendants, etc.

A new category of wearable device is emerging: screenless AI assistants that are not phones. These often clip on as “AI pins” or pendants, or take the form of small handheld gadgets. For example, Humane’s AI Pin clips to your clothing and is intended to replace your phone with voice AI. It has no screen – instead it uses a camera, microphone, and even a tiny laser projector for its interfacetomsguide.com. As one review notes, “Without a screen, Humane’s mission is for this to be your communication device that removes all the common distractions of a smartphone. … innovation on offer from the multimodal AI to the laser projector interface”tomsguide.com. (However, early testers found the projected UI awkward in daylight and the battery life very poortomsguide.com.) In contrast, the Rabbit R1 is a small square pocket device with a 2.9″ LCD screen and a scroll wheel. It feels “like a Playdate [gaming console] in the hand,” with an LCD on the front, a rotatable 360° camera on top, and a walkie-talkie-style push-to-talk buttontomsguide.com.

Figure: An AI “pin” wearable (Humane AI Pin) that clips to clothing. Such devices use voice commands, cameras, and even projectors instead of a phone’s screentomsguide.com.
Humane’s Pin (≈$699) and Rabbit’s R1 (≈$199) both aim to provide voice-driven AI on the go, offering answers, camera-based search, and other AI tasks without pulling out a phone. The Rabbit R1 in particular enables multi-modal AI (voice + vision) and even includes a Large Action Model that can perform web tasks (e.g. booking travel) for you. Its specs are very compact: about 3″×3″×0.5″ and 115grabbit.tech, with Wi‑Fi/4G connectivity, a 360° camera, and a touchable scroll wheel interfacerabbit.techrabbit.tech. The Humane Pin, by contrast, has no screen but uses a camera and voice assistant (based on Google Gemini) to answer queries or listen continuously; in demo it can recognize objects and people.

Other novel wearables include the Limitless Pendant (≈$99). This is a small puck worn around the neck that continuously listens to nearby conversations. It uses AI to transcribe meetings and generate summaries or to-do lists on the flytomsguide.com. It has an extremely long battery life (≈100 hours) and comes in multiple color finishestomsguide.com. (No display – the user interacts via a paired app or voice.) The Limitless Pendant focuses on one “killer app”: capturing and recalling speech, especially in business meetings, which could be invaluable in conference rooms of smart offices.

Finally, Amazon even tried a smart ring: the Echo Loop (announced 2019). It was a titanium ring with a built-in microphone and speaker for Alexawareable.com. You had to press it to speak, and hold it to your mouth/ear to talk/listen. Reviewers said it was a “neat concept,” but in practice the tiny speaker made it hard to hear responses. Amazon reported about one day of battery lifewareable.com, and testers found it awkward. (Amazon never released it to the general public.) This shows how companies are experimenting with ever-smaller form factors (rings, clips) to host AI assistants. As one reviewer put it, the Echo Loop “makes no bones” about being experimentalwareable.com.

Key examples of current AI wearables:

• Rabbit R1 (AI assistant gadget, $199): Handheld device with voice AI, screen, camera and scroll wheeltomsguide.comrabbit.tech. It runs large language and action models for multi-step tasks (web bookings, etc.).

• Humane AI Pin (AI clip-on, ~$699+$24/mo): Screenless wearable with voice AI and a laser projector interfacetomsguide.com. Intends to replace smartphone, but first-gen versions have usability issuestomsguide.com.

• Limitless AI Pendant (necklace, $99+$19/yr): Screenless pendant focused on transcription. It records and transcribes speech (meetings/conversations) and summarizes ittomsguide.com.

• Amazon Echo Loop (Alexa ring, prototype): A smart ring with Alexa, mic and speakerwareable.com. Short-lived prototype (1-day battery) that was never broadly released; reviewers called it a “compelling look” but not ready for userswareable.comwareable.com.

Each of these is extremely miniaturized compared to a phone, sacrificing screen/UI for voice and AI. (Other examples of tiny wearables include smart rings like fitness rings, or bone-conduction audio glasses, but those focus on sensing or audio rather than full AI.) The trend is toward embedding AI into ever-smaller, fashion-friendly devices, often as accessories (jewelry, clothing clips, etc.)techinsights.com.

Modular/Customizable Prototypes

Some visionaries have even imagined modular wearables, where you customize features by snapping on parts. This is analogous to Google’s Project Ara (2016) for phoneswired.com. For wearables, an example was the Blocks smartwatch (Kickstarter 2015) – it had a “core” watch body with removable modules (GPS, extra battery, cellular, sensors, etc.) that you could hot-swapwareable.com. In theory you’d “never have to buy a new watch, just update the components” (as Blocks’ campaign put itwareable.com). However, Blocks ultimately failed: it ran out of money and never reached customerswareable.com. Like Ara, it showed promise but revealed huge manufacturing challenges.

At present, no consumer modular wearable exists. Most smartwatches and bands are monolithic products (Apple Watch, Garmin, etc.). So if infinite customizability is desired (a “Swiss Army knife” of wearables), one would have to essentially build a new ecosystem of modules and chargers. This remains experimental – the Roadblocks of hardware sourcing and quality control are very realwareable.com. For prototyping, open hardware platforms (Arduino, Raspberry Pi Zero, or small SoC boards) can be used for experimentation, but they will be larger/heavier than consumer devices. True customizability (like Ara envisioned) will likely require more time and a sustainable hardware partner.

Miniaturization & New Form Factors

The race to shrink devices continues across categories. Smart rings (like the Oura Ring) and earbuds/earables (like AirPods Pro, NuraLoop, Bose Frames audio glasses) are packing more sensors (heart rate, SpO₂, head-tracking) into tiny form factorstechinsights.com. Wearable fashion-tech (e-textiles, smart jewelry) is also growing: for example, clothing lines with embedded gesture sensors (Google’s Jacquard jacket) hint at sensing via garments. According to industry analysts, smart glasses and smart rings are “poised for growth” thanks to lightweight designs and new sensingtechinsights.com. In practice, these devices offer discrete ways to monitor health or provide audio/visual aids without bulky phones.

Another frontier is head-up display (HUD) wearables: beyond AR glasses, there are attempts like smart contact lenses (research labs) and even neural interfaces (e.g. Neuralink, though implantable). Elon Musk has suggested that future “phones” might be fully internal (Neuralink)x.com. But in the near term, the tightest miniaturization means rings/pins with voice or earbuds with AI assistants. Each incremental shrink (ring vs. watch vs. phone) trades UI for discretion. The question is whether such small devices can deliver the usability people expect from a phone.

Smart Building Integration

Beyond personal tasks, many envisioned use-cases for these wearables are building-centric. We already touched on gyms and offices, but more scenarios exist: for example, a wearable could automatically check you into a building (no keycard needed) and then signal your preferred lighting or desk height. In factories or warehouses, worker wearables could adjust environmental safety (ventilation, alerts) based on their exertion or proximity to hazards. Smart homes already use phones/voice for control; wearables could make that more personal.

In security, wearables can replace cards: modern IoT systems can embed an NFC tag or Bluetooth beacon in a badge/wearable for seamless access. The Hologram blog points out that wearables can provide “unprecedented insights into building usage patterns” when combined with video analyticshologram.io. In practice, a building might know when people move from meeting room to meeting room and optimize climate/lighting automatically. On the flip side, privacy and data security become concerns – some advocates suggest future wearables could use blockchain/Web3 to prove identity or secure data, though concrete products in that space are not yet mainstream.

XR Glasses vs. Companion Wearables

A major trend is that AR/VR (XR) glasses may subsume many functions of other wearables. Tech giants are pouring effort into smart glasses that include cameras, displays, microphones and AI. For instance, Bloomberg reports that Meta will release Oakley sports smart glasses in 2025 and full AR glasses (with in-lens display) by 2027mixed-news.com. Apple is rumored to launch its first smart glasses in 2027 (audio+camera, no display) and later true AR eyewear with visualswareable.comwareable.com. Meanwhile, Meta and Google (via Stadia) have been developing AI for vision and context: Google’s “Gemini 2” AI and its Project Astra can interpret the world via a camera and converse about itwired.com.

Industry reports note that smart glasses and smart rings are the breakout categories of 2025techinsights.com. These AR devices can provide visual overlays, spatial audio, and always-on assistants – all in a wearable form factor. If Apple and Meta succeed, by 2027 many consumers may rely on glasses for navigation, notifications, and even eye-tracked UI. In that world, a separate clip-on assistant might be redundant.

However, current AR glasses (like Meta’s Ray-Ban Stories or Apple Vision Pro) are still bulky and expensive. They require battery packs or heavy frames, and social acceptance is low. Simpler wearables (pins, rings, earbuds) remain much cheaper and more discreet for now. So gaps might exist for lower-end AI wearables: e.g. someone who wants a voice assistant but refuses to wear big glasses might use an AI pin or a smart ring. Niche markets (fitness buffs, security staff, factory workers with safety glasses) might also prefer alternative forms.

In summary, XR glasses are coming, and they will cover many smart-wearable functions in a richer waymixed-news.comwareable.com. But their adoption will take years. Meanwhile, current smart glasses are more “cool gadget” than mass market. There could be room for complementary wearables that handle some tasks (e.g. haptic alerts, emergency call pendant, health monitors) that glasses don’t address.

Market Assessment and Recommendations

Existing “killer apps” and products: Today, no single wearable product has captured this space. The closest are smartphones themselves and high-end watches (e.g. Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch) for general tasks. For specialized cases, certain products stand out: fitness trackers/watches dominate exercise tracking, and hearables (AirPods, Vive Flow) dominate audio/communication. But for a full “personal Jarvis” assistant worn as a pin or ring, no one winner exists yet. The first-gen AI pins (Humane, Rabbit R1) are still very new, and only in beta or limited release. They have generated buzz but also exposed challenges (battery, voice recognition, connectivity).

If a killer app did exist (like a perfect AI sidekick), we would likely already see it attracting mass users or being announced by big companies. Instead, every promising prototype still feels experimental. Thus, no proven killer product is available off-the-shelf where IP is “redundant.” The best available components are likely complex: high-end system-on-chip (Qualcomm/AWS RoHAZU CPUs with neural engines), mini cameras, battery tech, and AI software. Achieving "best quality at best cost" usually demands either mass-production or partnerships with OEMs. Without them, costs per unit will be high.

Trends suggest caution: Major players’ roadmaps indicate strong competition. Google is embedding AI assistants in all devices (Gemini/Astra)wired.com, Apple and Meta are focused on wearable hardwaremixed-news.comwareable.com. These companies also protect their tech via IP. Unless you’re building something truly unique, trying to compete directly with, say, Meta’s $1,000 smart glasses would be very hard. Even Amazon’s foray with Echo Loop shows how easy it is to get hardware wrong.

On the other hand, if your goal is prototyping for personal use or research, these wearables are fascinating platforms. For prototyping, one could leverage existing hardware where possible (e.g. use a Raspberry Pi Zero + mic + battery for voice AI, or repurpose an old smartphone as a “wearable” assistant). OpenAI and others offer edge AI models that could run on small devices. Modular prototyping platforms exist (see [20] and [24] for inspiration). But be aware that moving from prototype to product requires hardware supply chain, regulatory testing (for RF, safety), and more.

Go/No-Go: If the purpose is to create a commercial product: The outlook is challenging. The market is nascent and dominated by tech giants. Unless you have a novel IP (e.g. a new sensor or AI approach) or a very targeted niche (e.g. medical patient monitoring in smart hospitals, or secure enterprise badges), a generic wearable AI assistant likely won’t beat the incumbents. In that sense, “go” only if you clearly identify a gap not addressed by AR glasses or phones, and have a plan to manufacture and support it. Otherwise “no go” for broad-market development.

If the project is for personal/scientific prototyping, then it could be worthwhile as an exploration. You can experiment with combining mini-computers, Bluetooth tags, open AI models, etc., to build a rudimentary JARVIS. But expect it to be bulky and limited unless you invest heavily. Given current trends (AI on all deviceswired.com, smart glasses comingmixed-news.comwareable.com, and no existing breakout product), a cautious stance is advised: identify a specific use-case or niche first, and check if any smaller wearable already serves it.

In summary, the smart-building wearable space is evolving but uncertain. Wearable gym integrations and building IoT (like Apple GymKit and smart badges) are already realsupport.apple.comhologram.io. Dedicated AI wearables are emerging (Rabbit R1, Humane Pin, etc. – see figures and reviewstomsguide.comtomsguide.com) but none is yet an obvious killer. At the same time, big competitors are betting on AR glassesmixed-news.comwareable.com and powerful AI agentswired.com. Any development roadmap you create should account for these trends. If you have truly unique IP (for example, a specialized health sensor or a new ultra-low-power AI chip), that changes the equation. Otherwise, unless a clear “blue ocean” opportunity is found, entering this market is high risk.

Sources: Recent industry and product reports on wearables, smart buildings, and AR/AI initiativessupport.apple.comhologram.ionews.siemens.co.uktomsguide.comtomsguide.comwareable.comwareable.comtechinsights.commixed-news.comwareable.comwired.com were used to inform this analysis.