Wearables That Talk to Each Other: A New Wireless Breakthrough

Ever tried using multiple smart devices at once? It's a hassle. Smart glasses, watches, rings—they don't always play nice together. Bluetooth connections can be unreliable, especially in crowded places. But what if there was a better way for these devices to communicate? Enter Ixana, a startup from Indiana. They've developed a wireless protocol called Wi-R. It's designed for super short-range connections, with high bandwidth and low latency. This means devices like earbuds, smart glasses, and rings can share data quickly and efficiently, as long as they're close to your body. At CES 2026, Ixana showcased their tech. They demonstrated earbuds and a music pendant that played music seamlessly. The connection dropped when the earbuds moved too far from the body, but the potential was clear. Another demo showed multiple devices sharing data at 5 Mbps. It's not enough for streaming video, but it's great for sensor data and music.Wi-R works up to 5 centimeters from your skin. It can even work through clothing. This makes it secure and private, which is why the military is interested. Ixana has been working with the US Air Force and Army on defense-focused projects. The goal is to make wearables more efficient. Current smart glasses drain battery fast when streaming data. Ixana claims Wi-R is more power-efficient than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This could mean up to 8 hours of continuous streaming for smart glasses. Ixana also showed a local data transfer demo. Two phones and two wristbands exchanged information only when close. This could be an alternative to AirDrop. The real potential lies in low-power wearables like health sensors and neural inputs. Right now, Ixana is focusing on consumer products. But for Wi-R to become standard, the industry needs to adopt it. If successful, it could revolutionize how wearables communicate. The idea of a data network passing through your body is intriguing. It's a step towards a future where wearables work seamlessly together.