First watches, then rings — as technology slowly takes over our jewelry, it’s no surprise that earrings were next. Engineering firm Lumia’s newest product brings the health monitoring to our ears with the smallest wearable yet.
The Lumia 2 is just one-fifth the size of an AirPod. It attaches to the back of an earring worn on the left ear (or goes around the middle of the ear if you opt for the cuff version). From there, the tiny device uses an infrared light sensor to measure arterial blood flow in the shallow ear artery. Since this is the closest artery to the brain, the earring’s data can be crucial in checking on the blood flow to your head and sounding the alarm on potential issues.
“If wearables are going to help with managing chronic conditions at home — which account for 90% of US healthcare spending — they need clinical-grade data, and the ear is the ideal place to get it. Smart rings were the next evolution after watches; smart earrings are the leap that finally unlocks the healthcare future wearables have been promising for over a decade,” said Lumia co-founder and CEO Daniel Lee.
