Goertek is a leading innovator in the R&D, manufacturing, and sales of precision components, including acoustics, optics, microelectronics, and enclosure parts. Their expertise extends to the development of cutting-edge smart hardware solutions such as hearables, wearables, VR/AR devices, IoT home products, and robotics, along with other high-end equipment. Goertek offers high-quality products that showcase their technological innovation and excellence.
The latest innovation of Goertek is a Smart Ring reference design tailored for gesture recognition applications in AR/VR products. This Smart Ring is designed to offer seamless interaction and enhanced user experience in the AR/VR space, necessitating a compact, lightweight form factor without compromising functionality or performance.
Challenges Tackled
During the design process of the Smart Ring, Goertek encountered several challenges. The primary difficulty was integrating advanced technology into a device with such a slim and compact form factor. Achieving high power efficiency and effective wireless charging within the limited space was particularly challenging. Goertek needed a solution that would allow fast charging and high performance without sacrificing the sleek, aesthetic design of the Ring.
Goertek chose Renesas’ NFC Wireless Charging (WLC) solution due to its exceptional power efficiency, compact size, and comprehensive end-to-end solution capabilities, this includes a Renesas PTX130W NFC poller that transmits power from the charging case to the ring and delivers the industry's highest output power for faster NFC charging, while ensuring RF performance compatibility issues arising from a single charging case architecture for different ring sizes. In addition, the powerful and efficient PTX30W integrated NFC wireless charging listener system-on-chip enables wireless charging applications along with data communication.
The Renesas WLC solution perfectly aligned with their design goals, enabling them to overcome the challenges posed by the compact form factor, waterproof and dustproof, eliminating Pogo-pin contact charging.
The successful integration of Renesas’ NFC WLC solution into the Goertek Smart Ring design resulted in significant growth in design freedom and time savings. The fast-charging capability improved user satisfaction, while the compact form factor allowed Goertek to stay ahead in the competitive AR/VR market, an innovative hand-free design for AR/VR accessories for remote controlling. The flexibility of Renesas’ solution also contributed to a smoother and faster development process, enabling reduced time to market.
Bella Bai, Associate Director of Wearable Product Marketing at Goertek shared the design journey with Renesas: "Renesas’ WLC wireless charging solution allowed us to implement a flexible design that fits perfectly within the compact form factor of our Smart Ring. The collaboration with the Renesas’ engineering team was seamless, and their support throughout the project was crucial in achieving our goals. We’re extremely satisfied with the outcome and look forward to future innovations with Renesas."