At the end of 2016, a smartwatch developed by US-based Somatic Labs, had no screen. According to Phone Arena, the watch, called Moment, relied on a single multi-colour LED and an advanced haptic feedback engine comprised of four motors, and could tell you about incoming notifications, give directions when driving, serve as a compass when walking, or even as your personal beat machine while playing an instrument or dancing. It also lets you feel the passage of time through subtle vibrations rotating around your wrist. Using the haptic feedback engine, Moment emulates the ticking of a clock on a tangible level as a constant stream of precisely punctuated vibrations make their way around your wrist like the revolutions of a second-hand around the clock face.
Modern makers are still looking for the perfect smartwatch, even as universities are conducting research to make wearable technology respond to brain signals. It’s only a matter of years before something disruptive comes out and sets the benchmark for future technologies.
