Not so long ago, wearable tech largely meant smartwatches, glasses and maybe a ring. But breakthroughs in artificial intelligence over the past few years have opened up new possibilities for where on our bodies we might wear sensor-filled technology to ambiently understand and interact with our surroundings.
Some efforts to explore new product categories — looking at you, Humane AI Pin — were dead in the water almost as soon as they arrived on the scene. But there’s still plenty of experimentation going on, like Jony Ive’s secret project with OpenAI to create a new type of AI device.
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To underpin this exploration, you need chipsets powerful enough to handle the demands of AI, and small and adaptable enough to sit inside a variety of products. Just last month, Qualcomm launched the latest version of its own wearables platform, the W5 Gen 2 chip, and during my time at the company’s Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii last week, I asked Dino Bekis, who runs Qualcomm’s wearables business, if anything interesting had been created with it yet.
Bekis immediately lit up as he described the Looki L1, a lifelogging wearable camera that hangs around your neck and can capture photos, videos and audio as you go about your day. You can also activate it using voice to pose questions to ChatGPT without getting out your phone.
«[It’s] one of those things where we never envisioned that design, and then people said, ‘Hey, this is an interesting application. We can take one of these chips that go into a smartwatch and and take advantage of it,'» he said. «So that’s really opened our eyes to these new applications.»
Bekis gave me a demo of his own personal device, showing me how the buttons on the side can be used to activate the camera — a 12-megapixel Sony sensor with image stabilization and automatic HDR. It’s capable of capturing 4K photos and 1080p video at 30fps with a wide field of view.
I’m no stranger to the arguments against moving through the world with wearable cameras. People’s fears of privacy and surveillance are valid, although I do think the concept of lifelogging is an interesting way to capture memories and play around with storytelling.
The Looki companion app transports your captured content to the cloud, where moments from your day are organized in chapters like a story, and your footage will be auto-cut into highlight reels. Looki can also create short films around a particular theme for you to watch or share, using your prompts about a particular place, person or mood.
Perhaps my favorite thing about the Looki L1 is its design. It reminds me of a cat, with its oval face, ears and legs. When you activate it by stroking it across the middle, its chirps and haptic vibrations resemble purrs. To let you know how much battery it has (battery life is 12 hours), you tap on the Looki’s tummy and its legs will glow green, yellow or red to indicate how well-juiced the device is. At just 30g, it’s also very comfortable to wear around your neck with the included clip and cord.
Like many wearable AI devices, the Looki L1 won’t be for everyone, but as Bekis pointed out, it’s a fascinating use of existing technology in the burgeoning landscape of AI-focused devices. If you’re keen to get your hands on one, it’s available now for $199, and comes with three free months of prime membership, which will otherwise cost you $10 per month.
