The 17-year-old behind the transformative 'SnapSync’
My Indiegogo campaign, now concluded, raised more than $450,000 CAD in just 40 days.
SnapSync is capable of detecting micro-vibrations on the skin, and sound frequencies in the environment, allowing consumers to use simple hand gestures to bring their digital world to life.”
ONTARIO, CANADA, October 19, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- — Eric Mao
17-year-old Eric Mao currently attends Crescent School in Toronto, Canada. He has founded startup ‘SnapSync’ developing a unique wearable device. SnapSync is capable of detecting micro-vibrations on the skin, and sound frequencies in the environment, allowing consumers to use simple hand gestures to bring their digital world to life. The first round of crowdfunding on Indiegogo closed at $450,000 CAD, receiving the support of 1,255 backers, and selling over 1600 units.
The best-selling American author H. Jackson Brown Jr. famously once wrote, “Learn to listen: Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.” The quote was certainly taken to heart by the young entrepreneur Eric Mao. At just 8 years old, doctors warned the boy, he may be facing a lifetime confined in a wheelchair. Thankfully, it was not the case. But it did stir a burning love and passion inside Eric, for the subjects of science and technology. Crucially, Eric now wants to develop and use his skills to innovate for the benefit of humanity. An Indiegogo campaign, now concluded, raised more than $450,000 CAD in just 40 days.
At 13 years-old, Eric was playing a game of handicapped basketball with children at a nearby rehabilitation hospital when an idea struck him. Eric says, “I suddenly realised how much easier movement would be if the hand- controls could be replaced by brainwaves. I designed a mind-controlled wheelchair, using EEG signals and a custom ‘neural network,’ to interpret the children’s brainwaves and turn them into actual movement.”
At 14, an excited Eric demonstrated his prototype ‘brainy wheelchair’ to researchers at the hospital. Since then, with his firm SnapSync, Eric worked on a smartwatch that enables kids with mental and physical disabilities to utilize gestures to control electronic devices and toys. “Our venture began in a very niche community setting, a kid's rehabilitation hospital. By truly understanding and addressing the specific needs of that community, we ensured our product wasn’t just functional, but would genuinely enrich lives.”
At 17, Eric turned his experimental project into a consumer device, integrating gesture control features, with smart-home devices and mobile electronics. SnapSync Band-1 is an open-source smartwatch designed with gesture control in mind. Using a variety of onboard sensors and algorithms, the watch can detect different hand gestures, such as snapping, clapping, or double-tapping two fingers. Since the end of the crowdfunding campaign, Eric and his rapidly expanding team is working to deliver all 1,600 units by the promised delivery date of April 2024.
Ends
Media Contact:
• Name: Eric Mao
• Email: ericmao0606@gmail.com
• Website: www.snapsync.tech
• Phone: +1 (647)-983-5161
• Address: 4 Tremont Crescent, Ontario, Canada
Social Media Profiles:
•Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/eric-mao
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EricMao02
Eric Mao
SnapSync
+1 647-983-5161
ericmao0606@gmail.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.