Handcrafted Ultrahuman Smart Ring: An Inside Look at Its Manufacturing Process
In this weekly series, our wearables editor, Michael Hicks, delves into the realm of smart rings, apps, and health-related fitness technology, in his quest to enhance speed and fitness.
This week, Hicks flew to Plano, Texas, to visit Ultrahuman's new factory. After being guided through the entire manufacturing process of the company's smart rings, he assembled an Ultrahuman Ring Air from scratch, thereby gaining a newfound appreciation for his own smart ring.
Unlike other tech devices, smart rings are not meant for disassembly and reassembly. Though one might be familiar with the sensors within, the inner workings of the titanium, resin, and ceramic casing, along with the determining factors of the ring's thickness, remain obscure.
With Ultrahuman's Ring Air embroiled in a sales and patent dispute with the Oura Ring, the company decided to showcase its new American factory. This move also provided a rare glimpse into the intricate world of smart ring manufacturing, a topic other brands have previously been reluctant to discuss.
Moreover, Hicks now has the distinction of partially manufacturing a smart ring that will eventually be purchased by someone in the United States.
The Making of a Smart Ring
The following photo galleries document the near-complete process of creating a smart ring at Ultrahuman's factory. It begins with the creation of printed circuit boards (PCBs), which house the SoC, PPG, IMU, temperature, and Bluetooth components. These components are mass-produced with fiberglass, polyamide, and ceramic materials, making them flexible enough to slide effortlessly into the ring's rounded shape.
Despite the mass-produced components, only about 400 smart rings are made daily at the UltraFactory, with a goal of increasing that number to approximately 1,350 per day or 500,000 per year by the end of 2025. The main obstacles stem from the fact that other mass-produced components have to be soldered onto the PCBs by hand.
A Quick Journey to Smart Ring Mastery
Upon creating the PCBs, the team conducts internal and external checks for any defects before moving on to soldering. Here, the Rx coil is first soldered onto the PCB, followed by the battery. The excess alloy is brushed off, leaving a seamless, bendable component ready for assembly within the ring.
A 3D-printed component, curved into a proper J shape, then houses the welded-together PCB. The workers apply glue to the titanium-carbon ring and insert the component into its interior.
The function of the smart ring is verified, after which it is placed inside a silicone mold. With 12 rings per mold, the ring is certain to undergo the hardening process, which takes 24 hours due to concerns about damaging the sensitive electronic components through haste.
At this stage, the smart ring is almost ready for use, but the resin may still appear rough and have sharp edges. To remedy this, the workers spend about 30 minutes smoothing and polishing it to a consumer-friendly finish. A final software check is then performed to ensure optimal performance before the ring hits the market.
My Hands-On Experience of Smart Ring Production
During the tour, Hicks was unable to complete the entire process of producing a smart ring from start to finish due to the 24-hour resin curing process. In reality, he got halfway through making a smart ring before returning a partially assembled one for the remaining stages. Hicks nevertheless considers himself part of the creation process, as the partially assembled ring will indeed be sold to someone.
Following the steps described, Hicks soldered the receiver coil onto the PCB, attached the battery, and brushed away the excess adhesive. He then curved the Ring Air components into a ring shape and inserted them into the ring. Despite his doubts, Hicks successfully completed the construction process without any mishaps. The staff ultimately took over to clean, polish, and check the ring, as Hicks had to be escorted for an interview.
Altering the Course of Smart Ring Manufacturing
During an interview, Ultrahuman's CEO, Mohit Kumar, and chief business officer, Bhuvan Srinivasan, discussed the repairability challenges plaguing all smart rings, particularly the resin that keeps components in place but also makes the rings difficult to disassemble for repairs. The lack of visible buttons for resetting malfunctioning rings adds to the difficulty.
Ultrahuman has proposed integrating a tiny, hidden button into their smart rings. In case of a malfunction, the button can be pushed to restart the ring and allow for firmware updates. The team is also considering a more modular design to enable battery replacement, but this idea appears to be more of a long-term goal rather than an immediate priority.
For now, Ultrahuman is focusing on optimizing its process due to higher American labor costs compared to their Indian facility. Their latest casting machine, capable of injecting resin into four times as many rings at once, addresses a bottleneck in the production line, improving overall efficiency.
In the future, Hicks hopes to gain insights into the manufacturing processes of other smart rings and observe how they evolve with advancing technology. Despite proprietary differences, the UltraFactory experience granted him respect for the level of quality control, precision, and craftsmanship that goes into creating a smart ring, even for someone with no industrial background.
- The gadgets on display at Ultrahuman's factory, including the Ring Air, are prime examples of technology that have moved beyond typical wearables, delving into smart rings, apps, and health-related fitness technology.
- As he assembled an Ultrahuman Ring Air from scratch, Hicks gained a newfound appreciation for his own smart ring, realizing the intricate workings and technology involved in its manufacturing.
