Innomdle Lab announced on Sept. 9 that it would begin mass producing its independently developed “Sgnl” by the end of the year. Sgnl is a watch strap that allows the user to talk on their cellphone simply by pressing their fingertip to their ear.

As of Sept. 7, Sgnl had already exceeded its original Kickstarter goal tenfold, amassing $500,000 -- indicating the product’s innovativeness has been widely recognized. Innomdle Lab displayed Sgnl at the 2016 IFA, Europe’s largest home appliance expo, which ended Sept. 8 and where it received a great deal of attention from global companies. With just one year having passed since its inception, the company is now pursuing an omnidirectional approach to both online and offline global marketing.



Sgnl’s key technology is based on the principle of the “string telephone” toy, which many people made and played with in their childhood. When one person speaks into a paper cup, the sound is relayed as a vibration along a string until it reaches the other cup, where it is transformed back into sound for the second person to hear. Similarly, the Sgnl strap uses minute physical vibrations to relay an audio signal from the wearer’s wrist to their fingertip, which, if pressed against the ear, reproduces the sound for the wearer to hear. Innomdle Lab Chief Technology Officer Yoon Tae-hyun said, “Because it does not create electromagnetic waves, Sgnl poses no health risk to the wearer.”

Designed in the format of a watch strap, Sgnl can be used not only for smartwatches, but also regular and classic watches. It will feature alarm and health care functions as well. The product’s price is approximately $200.

(jshwang@heraldcorp.com)