This device claims to turn any surface into a smart interface
There is a new device on the market that could change the way you control every piece of technology in your life.
It's called Welle, and it "can instantly turn any surface into a smart interface," according to CEO and founder Mark Zeng. The smart-home controlling device uses sonar technology to read hand gestures on any surface.
The company's Kickstarter campaign was launched in late March, and in just 21 hours, it hit the funding goal of $20,000. As of April 10, there are over 500 Kickstarter backers for the device.
Welle was created with a specific gap in the smart technology market in mind.
"There is a limited interactive surface of our current technology. Welle was created to solve this problem. It just wants to extend the interactive surface of the devices," Zeng told CNBC's "The Rundown" on Friday.
Smaller than a smartphone, Welle is around three inches long and weighs just 3.5 ounces, making it compact and portable. Users "can turn on the lights or change the Philips Hue colors by moving your fingers on the table, or you can clip it onto the wall, and move your fingers to turn the volume of your speakers up or down," said Zeng.
"It works just like a universal remote," he explained.
The device transmits sonar signals to track users' finger gestures on surfaces, which are then collected and translated to control designated appliances and applications.
"You can very easily connect Welle to PC or smartphone devices through our app. So after initialization, you can define your customized gestures, and also map it to the functions you like," said Zeng.
Users just need to set up a Bluetooth connection to connect the device to the Welle app, available on both iOS and Android devices.
Priced at $99, the Welle is expected to begin production in September this year and the first batch of shipment will be in October.
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