Walkie-talkies have been around since World War II, but their features have largely remain unchanged over the years, until now. Milo is a wearable device that operates as a walkie-talkie but without the negative features that have plagued the technology for decades. Milo operates without the use of Wi-Fi or cell signal and uses a wireless networking protocol for distribution of voice over an ad-hoc mesh network, called MiloNet.
MiloNet is tolerant to packet loss, provides proactive routing, latency control and it is air efficient. The wearable combines audio processing for wind and other noise suppression, six microphones, a custom speaker and amplifier design and a user interface in a palm-sized form factor. The wearable allows groups to communicate as far as 2,000 ft and has a long-range mode exceeding 1 mile.
The wearable can be clipped to a pocket, handlebar, helmet or onto an armband over a wetsuit. Communication can happen in real time offering full duplex multi-way, hands-free, phone-free voice over the MiloNet. Additionally, the wearable also provides network event notifications such as when someone out-of-range rejoins the group.
Milo can be fully submerged in water, works in freezing temperatures or direct sunlight and features a battery that can last for an entire day.
Two pre-production runs of Milo have been completed and shipment of the device is expected to begin in December.
A Kickstarter campaign for Milo was just launched and has already met its funding goals. However, the campaign has another month before it ends. To learn more about Milo, visit the Kickstarter campaign.
