www.3ders.org

Oct 8, 2015 | By Benedict

The team behind the NFC Ring have launched a Kickstarter campaign for their new 2016 model. The previous incarnation of the smart ring, which enjoyed its own successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2013, was 3D printed and could be printed by customers at home. Whilst this new model is being primarily marketed as a readymade, it is still possible to download and 3D print the new model using files provided by its makers.

Unlock your mobile device

The NFC Ring is a smart ring with numerous functions. It “can be used to unlock doors, mobile devices, transfer information and link people”. That’s right: with an NFC (near field communication) lock on your front door, the NFC ring can function as a key that you’ll never lose. Hold up the ring to the sensor to activate the lock mechanism and, hey presto, you’re inside. The smart ring can also be used to quickly and easily transfer data, such as contact details, to smartphones and tablets. No more fumbling about for a pen and paper when you meet that special someone: just whip out your smart ring and wave it at their device.

The NFC Ring is designed with both sharing and privacy in mind (not to mention style). The ring contains two independent NFC tags, one on the upper surface and one on the lower. Whilst the upper tag is designed to be programmed with sharable information, like an electronic business card, the lower tag is for holding data to be kept private.

Unlock Your Door

The NFC designers suggest programming the upper tag with contact details in VCard format, a link to your personal website, or social media accounts. Doing so gives the ring the ability to add those contact details to or share those links with any smartphone or tablet, with just a simple push of the ring against the rear of the device. Alternatively, the tag can be programmed to function as a shortcut to an oft-needed application, to quickly launch it without navigating a cumbersome phone interface.

The original prototype NFC Ring was designed using TinkerCad. As well as sharing the STL files for the ring, John McLear and co have published detailed documentation and 3D models for customising the ring for a tailored shape and size. Once the main body of the ring has been printed, users will need one of the NFC inlays, which can be obtained by pledging $5 on the company’s Kickstarter page.

Although the NFC Ring team are selling the ring as a complete item, body and inlay, they are continuing the print-your-own model “to show our love for the hacker community and to get as many people with access to prototyping and developing as quickly and as affordable as possible.”

The current NFC Ring campaign has 14 days left to run. At the time of writing, £38,000 of the £57,000 goal has been pledged. Show some support!

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

 

 

 

 

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