Ring One by Muse Wearables, the first made-in-India 'smart ring' for health tracking

Indian tech startup Muse Wearables on Thursday, 31 August, announced that it has developed a smart ring equipped with advanced health tracking and on-the-go payments.

Bengaluru-based Muse Wearables was born out of the IIT Madras Incubation Cell, founded by K.L.N Sai Prasanth and Yathindra Ajay KA, both graduates of IIT Madras, and Prathyusha K, an NIT Warangal graduate.

Called Ring One, the device can measure six different vitals — heart rate, blood oxygen, temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate variability and blood pressure. It is 10 times lighter than a smartwatch and users can wear it night and day, 24x7. It has a battery life of up to seven days. 

Trained with 5 million data points from over 4,000 people, Ring One offers clinical-grade accuracy for health information and offers a cuff-less BP measurement for the first time in a ring.

It is also the world’s first smart ring to offer NFC payments, besides health tracking in the smallest form factor. For this, Muse has partnered with some of the biggest payment networks, including Mastercard, VISA and Rupay. The payments will be live in India, the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, Singapore and the UAE.  

The company, which is yet to reveal the price, aims to launch the product globally on 27 September and in India on 25 October in India. The product’s website is, however, open for pre-reservations.

'Observing hundreds of users during the Covid-19 pandemic span has imparted us with priceless insights, most notably that the wrist might not be the most optimal position to get accurate data,' said Prathyusha K, co-founder and chief operations officer (COO), Muse Wearables, in a statement. 'Also, many people were unable to wear the wrist tracker during sleep. We found that the finger is a more accurate location to get precise data.'

Ring One looks like a band, but also has a 'turn wheel' interface. With a simple twist of the outer band, users can switch between various modes. So, a turn to the left can start a workout, while a turn to the right can enable secure payments.

Made of grade 2 titanium and ceramic (zirconia), Ring One is lightweight yet very strong. Its multi-layered coating and diamond polishing ensure a beautiful finish and make it scratch-resistant. The inner layer of the ring is made with medical-grade epoxy, to ensure users have an exceptional level of comfort during wear.

Ring One is water-resistant up to 100 m, giving users the freedom to enjoy swimming and showering without having to remove the band. It comes in silver and black, all-black, gold and rose gold variants. 

Muse is also planning to launch 18K gold versions of the ring as limited-edition pieces.

Ring One will be available in nine sizes. Every order starts with a sizing kit that helps users find the perfect size for themselves.