Light-based alerts could feature in a future Ultrahuman smart ring
A newly published patent outlines a smart ring that could change colour based on real-time biomarker data or workout intensity zones. Filed by Ultrahuman, the design blends visual feedback with health sensing to deliver alerts directly on the body, without needing a screen.
A ring that shows how your body is doing
We spotted the Ultrahuman’s patent today (US 2026/0013805), but it was actually published a few days ago. It covers a wearable with a multi-layered structure: a rigid outer shell, a sensor-filled PCB in the middle, and an inner contact layer. The standout feature lies in what the outer layer can do.
According to the document, the ring incorporates “colour changing hardware” designed to light up in specific ways based on your health data. That includes LEDs or light-emitting polymers embedded in the housing, potentially visible around the band in multiple positions.
This hardware could flash, blink, dim or glow in different colours depending on how your biomarkers stack up against certain thresholds. These might include heart rate, SpO2, stress, temperature or other values linked to activity or wellness.
It’s a great idea – something we have not seen so far. The goal here is to offer subtle, glanceable visual alerts instead of relying on a phone or watch screen.
Custom alerts based on thresholds and patterns
One of the key use cases mentioned is helping users spot health risks or workout zones in real time. The system compares data from sensors to pre-defined values and then chooses a colour pattern accordingly. The patent gives an example where high stress triggers a red flashing glow, or where low oxygen combined with high heart rate leads to orange light. It can also reflect workout effort levels, like lighting up green for a fat-burning zone or red when hitting anaerobic territory.
Essential reading: Ultrahuman Ring Air review – a strong contender in the smart ring market
What makes this more flexible than traditional zone-based displays is that the user has some control over the logic. The patent describes a mobile app interface where predefined conditions and the corresponding colours can be customised. So someone could assign blue to signal recovery readiness, or make the ring flash when hydration status drops.
More than just another smart ring
From the description, the product is positioned more as an ambient companion than a data-driven dashboard. Unlike rings that store data for later viewing, this one has the benefit of reacting on the spot, converting metrics into immediate, visible cues. The visuals aren’t limited to simple colour shifts either. The patent talks about various light behaviours like revolving patterns, pulsing, or blinking rates that adjust depending on how far your values are from the target range.
The design includes a proximity sensor to detect when the ring is worn, and a wireless module to send data to a phone. The on-board microcontroller compares readings to the preset thresholds and controls the colour changes. A small memory chip can store the rules and thresholds, or they can be pushed from the app.
Something like this has the potential to reduce reliance on screens and make people more aware of their body states throughout the day. Instead of pulling out your phone or checking a watch face, a quick glance at your finger might be enough.
Visual feedback as health signal
There’s no confirmation yet whether this specific colour-shifting design is planned for the next generation of Ultrahuman Ring AIR or if it’s a separate product line entirely. But it does fit the company’s recent efforts to focus on biomarker-led feedback. The existing AIR model already tracks stress, HRV, SpO2 and temperature. Adding a real-time visual cue could be a next step toward passive awareness.
This is only one of a number of interesting patents filed by the company in the last few months. We already covered. One of these is for a ring that tracks Vitamin D levels with a real UVB sensor. Another is for a glucose tracking ring.
This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.
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