As computing becomes more ubiquitous in our objects, designers need to be more aware of how to design meaningful interactions into electronically enhanced objects. At the University of Washington, a class of junior Interaction Design majors is exploring this question. These pages chronicle their efforts.

Friday, June 12, 2020

Xiaomi Mi Watch Teardown + Knolling



Teardown of Xiaomi Mi Watch

Used https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Xiaomi+Mi+Watch+Teardown/130132

My biggest takeaway from this teardown was really just how each of the sensing components works. I'm familiar with what their functions are, such as "detects sound" or "senses heart rate", but I'd never really considered the "how". Thus, I had to conduct some independent research into each component (see: the callouts in my knolling image above). In particular, I was surprised to learn that the heart rate sensor relies on light reflections to track pulse. My initial guess was that the heart rate sensor is somehow able to detect the slight vibrations of one's pulse point, but I suppose that that would require a very high degree of sensitivity that is unlikely for this product.

I wasn't able to find out the functional ins and outs of each of the processing components, but their names give some indication as to their purpose. For example, the Qualcomm WCN3620 wireless connectivity chip is likely what allows for the watch to connect and exchange data with other Bluetooth devices. Additionally, the T9897 music audio IC might be what allows the watch to process the electromagnetic current generated by the microphones when detecting sound. This is something that I'll continue to look into.

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