How We Made Orbyt Smart Ring Sleeker Without Compromising Performance

Shrinking wearable technology without compromising function is one of the toughest challenges in hardware. The more compact a device becomes, the harder it is to maintain signal quality, power efficiency, and sensor performance - especially in a ring form factor. This blog explores the engineering mindset behind miniaturizing a wearable, and how we applied those principles to shape the next version of the Orbyt Ring: sleeker, smarter, and built for everyday use. 

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Designing a wearable is hard. Designing one that fits in the form of a sleek ring - without giving up on power, connectivity, or comfort - is harder. A truly seamless smart ring achieves its form by packing powerful electronics into an ever-smaller package. 

In this major design phase, we took critical steps to make our health-tracking ring as sleek and compact as possible. This involved tackling multiple challenges at once: reworking the circuit board layout, boosting wireless connectivity, upgrading the battery, choosing new materials, refining the sensor electrodes, and even redesigning the charging dock. Below, we walk through each of these engineering breakthroughs.

• Circuit miniaturization: We condensed the electronics using high-density routing and flexible interconnects.

• Improved wireless link: We redesigned the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) antenna and matching network to extend range and reliability.

• Advanced battery: We moved to a thin, high-capacity battery that delivers more energy in the same volume.

• Material selection: We chose tougher, biocompatible materials on the outside and hypoallergenic, clear materials on the inside.

• ECG electrode design: We crafted curved contact strips to maintain steady skin contact for sensing.

• Charging dock: We made a snap-in dock with alignment safeguards for easy, safe charging.

Each of these changes helped us trim size without losing any functionality. The result is our slimmest, most comfortable smart ring yet, packed with the same health sensors and features users expect.

Optimizing the PCB Layout

If you're building wearables, the PCB layout is where the fight for space begins. Our redesign started with a complete rethinking of the circuit boards. We consolidated the electronics and worked with PCB fabrication specialists to pack components even closer together. For example, the thin flex interconnects (those narrow ribbons that connect the boards) were shrunk from 2-3 millimeters down to about 1 mm, freeing up precious space. These flexible printed circuits use ultra-fine traces and laser-drilled vias to allow signals to pass between layers with extreme precision and very low spacing. That let us route creatively  - imagine origami, but with multiple layers of  copper. This helped reduce the number of separate circuit boards from six to five. This rigid-flex approach also eliminated the number of fragile connectors - often a weak point in any compact electronic product.

With these high-density PCB techniques, we achieved an extraordinarily compact layout. The new design weaves nearly every component into a single contiguous board that can bend into the ring shape, much like a rigid-flex circuit in a smartphone.

Improving Bluetooth (BLE) Connectivity

Miniaturization is great - until your wireless signal dies. We chose Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for its low power usage and wide compatibility with phones. In our early tests, however, we noticed very limited range (5–10 cm) and occasional packet loss. We knew we needed a better antenna system. So we rethought it from the ground up. 

Instead of soldering the antenna circuit manually, we seamlessly integrated it into the PCB itself and experimented on various tuning circuits as well to improve the range.

Here's where it got interesting: we discovered that even the ring’s size affects antenna behavior. A few millimeters can change impedance characteristics. So we adjusted the matching circuit slightly across sizes to maintain performance. These tweaks doubled our BLE range and eliminated data dropouts. 

Battery Innovations for Extended Life

Powering advanced sensors in a small form factor is one of the toughest problems in wearables. You either make the battery bigger (which we didn’t want) or make it better. We did the latter. To improve battery performance without compromising on size or design, we explored alternative form factors and emerging technologies. This allowed us to extend battery life while staying true to our vision for a sleek, minimalist ring.

Material Science Meets Everyday Wear

Hardware aside, materials make or break a wearable - both in durability and comfort. As we shrunk the electronics, we also had to rethink the ring’s exterior and interior materials to match the constrained dimensions.

With miniaturization in place, we approached material selection with equal scrutiny, guided by a clear vision: a sleek, skin-friendly ring built to withstand daily wear. The exterior shell must protect all the electronics from daily wear and tear: it needed to be lightweight yet extremely durable and biocompatible. On the interior (the part touching the skin), we needed something hypoallergenic and transparent enough for our optical sensors, while also resisting UV exposure and sweat; all without compromising on aesthetics.

Precision ECG Electrode Design

Reliable ECG readings depend on consistent skin contact - but fingers move, stretch, and flex all day long. Inside the ring, the ECG sensor relies on stable contact for  measurement. 

To solve this, we engineered a set of three thin, curved metal electrodes embedded into the inner band. These keep gentle pressure on the skin without pinching, helping capture continuous, strong signals across all ring sizes. We saw a meaningful bump in ECG signal quality after this change. And users barely felt the components, which blended into the ring’s interior.

Orbyt Ring v5: Slimmer, Smaller, Smarter

After all these changes, we took a step back and looked at what we’d built.

The final design came in at just 9.5mm wide and 2.8–3.5mm thick, depending on size. It fits snugly, comfortably - like a regular band. Despite the slim build, we still offer eight different size options for a snug fit on any finger.

But don’t let the size fool you. Inside is the full stack: ECG, optical sensors, motion tracking, BLE connectivity, and a multi-day battery life. No cutbacks, no compromises. The result is a ring that feels like nothing on your hand, but works like a full-featured health tracker.

Intuitive Charging Dock Design

To complete the user experience, we redesigned the charging dock for easy, error-proof charging. The new dock is a small cradle into which the ring “snaps” magnetically. Charging contacts only activate when everything is properly seated. 

Safety and alignment checks ensure that power only flows when the connections line up perfectly. If the ring is placed crookedly, a tiny sensor cuts off the current to prevent any short or reverse flow. This intuitive snap-on charging design completes the loop of convenience for daily use. It’s all designed to work one-handed, no fumbling required.

Shrinking Smart Tech, Expanding Possibilities

Shrinking a smart ring is never just about reducing millimeters - it’s about rethinking every single system inside it. In this version of Orbyt Ring, we pushed our engineering to the edge. By reimagining each aspect – from the PCB layout to the battery to the materials – we’ve achieved a sleeker, more compact device without sacrificing functionality. Each fix was deliberate, each improvement hard-earned.

Every decision was guided by the goal of natural wearability: a durable exterior for everyday life, smooth comfort on the skin, and solid sensor readings no matter how you move. This is the version of Orbyt that feels closest to invisible. It’s not just a wearable. It’s a device that disappears into your day - and that’s exactly what great technology should do.