Kitchener's Thalmic Labs unveils final Myo armband design

ThalmicLabs, aKitchener,Ont.-based company, has unveiled the final design for the Myoarmband, a wearable piece of technology that can manipulateelectronic devices, like your computer, phone or gaming system.

TheMyoarmband is worn just below your elbow and is made of a rubberized, plastic material. Stephen Lake, co-founder and CEO, said the armband is able to read tiny signals sent by the brain to initiate muscle movement. The information from each of the signals istied adesired action.

• Thalmic Labs' Aaron Grant: Startups 'gaining momentum' in Kitchener
• Thalmic Labs armband a Canadian-made wearable device

"Weknow that from the certain muscles you've activated that you're rotating your arm left or right, or making a fist for example. Then that's sent overa wireless connection to the device it's controlling at that time," said Lake.

"One developer...has taken the technology and integrated it into a whole home audio system. In this example,controlling the volume could be as simple as reaching out, making a fist and then rotating your [fist] to the right to turn the volume up or to the left to turn the volume down, just like you were grasping a physical knob."

The Myoarmband requires an activation gesture to turn on and off. Lake said the gesture wasn't something you would normally do in daily life, in order to avoid accidentally setting off a device.

Thalmic Labs has shipped out over 1,000development kits, from interested individuals to Fortune 500 companies. Lake said beyond consumer applications, the Myo armband has been tested with display technologies for potentialuse in a workplace.

"[For instance] asurgeon who is going about their activity, they can control what they'reseeing on [a] display," said Lake.

The Myo armband is available online forpre-order at $149. Pre-orders will start shipping out in September, with a broader commercial release slated for holiday season.