OpenRing (UbiComp 25' Companion)

Android application for smart ring monitoring and data collection. If you just want to use the application for ring monitoring (Android devices), you can simply download the APK directly from releases.

If you want to modify the code or build the application from source, below are the requirements to build the project.

Features

Real-time Monitoring

• PPG Data: Green, IR, and Red light measurements
• 3-Axis Accelerometer: Motion tracking and analysis
• 3-Axis Gyroscope: Rotation and orientation data
• Temperature Sensors: Multi-point temperature monitoring

Data Management

• File Download: Retrieve stored data from ring device```

Android SDK

The project requires:

• Minimum SDK: Android 7.0 (API level 24)
• Target SDK: Android 14 (API level 34)
• Compile SDK: Android 14 (API level 34)

Dependencies

The following libraries are used in the OpenRing project and will be automatically downloaded when building:

Bluetooth and Connectivity

• ChipletRing1.0.81.aar - SDK for device communication
• Custom BLE utilities for ring connectivity

Data Processing and Visualization

• Custom PlotView for real-time data visualization
• Ring data parsing utilities
• Notification handling system

File Management

• Built-in file download and management system
• CSV/binary data export capabilities

Hardware Requirements

• Android device with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support
• Minimum 4GB RAM recommended
• At least 100MB free storage space

Project Structure

OpenRing/
├── app/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── main/
│   │   │   ├── java/com/tsinghua/sample/
│   │   │   │   ├── activity/
│   │   │   │   │   ├── MainActivity.java
│   │   │   │   │   └── RingSettingsActivity.java
│   │   │   │   ├── utils/
│   │   │   │   │   └── NotificationHandler.java
│   │   │   │   ├── PlotView.java
│   │   │   │   └── RingViewHolder.java
│   │   │   ├── res/
│   │   │   │   ├── layout/
│   │   │   │   ├── values/
│   │   │   │   └── drawable/
│   │   │   └── AndroidManifest.xml
│   │   └── test/
│   ├── build.gradle
│   └── proguard-rules.pro
├── gradle/
├── build.gradle
└── README.md

Setup Instructions for Windows

Requirements for Android Studio

1. Install Android Studio: Download and install from Android Studio
2. Install JDK: Java Development Kit 11 or later
3. Configure SDK: During setup, ensure the following components are installed:
   • Android SDK Platform-Tools
   • Android SDK Build-Tools
   • Android Emulator
   • Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator (HAXM installer)

Additional Components

In Android Studio SDK Manager, install:

• SDK Platforms: Android 14 (API level 34)
• SDK Tools:
  • Android SDK Build-Tools
  • CMake
  • NDK (Side by side)
  • Android Emulator
  • Android SDK Platform-Tools

Setup Instructions for macOS

Requirements for Xcode and Android Studio

1. Install Xcode: Available from Mac App Store (required for development tools)
2. Install Android Studio: Download from the official website
3. Configure SDK: Same as Windows requirements

Apple Silicon Notes

• Android Emulator supports ARM64 images on Apple Silicon Macs
• Use ARM64 system images for better performance on M1/M2 Macs

Setup Instructions for Linux

Requirements for Linux Development

1. Install Java JDK:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install openjdk-11-jdk

2. Install Android Studio:

   tar -xzf android-studio-*-linux.tar.gz
   cd android-studio/bin
   ./studio.sh

3. Install additional dependencies:

   sudo apt-get install -y libc6:i386 libncurses5:i386 libstdc++6:i386 lib32z1 libbz2-1.0:i386

Building the Project

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/thuhci/OpenRing.git
cd OpenRing

Build with Android Studio

1. Open Android Studio
2. Select "Open an existing Android Studio project"
3. Navigate to the cloned OpenRing directory
4. Wait for Gradle sync to complete
5. Build → Make Project (Ctrl+F9 / Cmd+F9)

Build with Command Line

# Debug build
./gradlew assembleDebug

# Release build
./gradlew assembleRelease

# Install on connected device
./gradlew installDebug

Known Issues and Solutions

Common Build Errors

1. SDK Version Mismatch: Update target and compile SDK versions in build.gradle
2. Permission Errors: Ensure all required permissions are granted
3. BLE Connection Issues: Check device Bluetooth and location services

Troubleshooting

• Data Not Downloading: Check storage permissions and available space
• Connection Drops: Verify device is within BLE range (< 10 meters)

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Support

For questions and support:

• Create an issue on GitHub Issues

Releases

Current stable version: v1.1.0

• Download the latest APK from Releases

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Project Statistics:

• Language: Java (85%), XML (15%)
• Minimum Android Version: 7.0 (API 24)
• License: MIT
• Last Updated: August 2025

📄 Citation

Title: τ-Ring: A Smart Ring Platform for Multimodal Physiological and Behavioral Sensing
Jiankai Tang, Zhe He, Mingyu Zhang, Wei Geng, Chengchi Zhou, Weinan Shi, Yuanchun Shi, Yuntao Wang, "τ-Ring: A Smart Ring Platform for Multimodal Physiological and Behavioral Sensing", UbiComp Companion, 2025

@article{tang2025ring,
      title={{\tau}-Ring: A Smart Ring Platform for Multimodal Physiological and Behavioral Sensing}, 
      author={Jiankai Tang and Zhe He and Mingyu Zhang and Wei Geng and Chengchi Zhou and Weinan Shi and Yuanchun Shi and Yuntao Wang},
      year={2025},
      eprint={2508.00778},
      archivePrefix={arXiv},
      primaryClass={cs.CE},
      url={https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.00778}, 
}