The Origami Labs founder talks to Gen.T about his desire to make 'weird' tech, Hong Kong's third wave and what he learnt from his father
I Am Generation T is a series of Q&As with some of the extraordinary individuals on the Generation T List 2018.
When we ask Kevin Johan Wong what exactly his company sells, his reply is refreshingly free of business-speak. “We make really weird wearables,” he answers with a fit of laughter. But while the Hong Kong Generation T honouree's wearable products may not be traditional, they are dazzlingly clever—and if that means weird in his world, then sign us up.
The Hong Kong-born entrepreneur’s company, Origami Labs, has developed a device that puts a voice assistant at your fingertips—literally. Orii, the firm's voice-powered smart ring, allows users to not only make a phone call, but also perform commands.
Users simply touch their finger to their ear to interact with their phone's voice assistant, meaning a number of tasks like sending messages, setting alarms and making phone calls can be performed without staring at a screen.
The ring uses bone conduction technology, which converts electrical signals into vibrations that travel through bone and directly into the inner ear, bypassing the eardrums. When applied properly, the technology can offer superior audio quality even in noisy environments. Hence why this invention has proved particularly popular with those who are hard of hearing.