First Steps

When you get Ara

What’s inside the box

To open the package:

1. Put the box in front of you on a flat surface like a table.
2. Search for the opening tab made from smooth fabric and make sure it is facing you.
3. Pull up on the tab and follow through until the box is completely open. If you cannot pull upwards on the tab that may mean the box is upside down. Please turn the box over and make sure the opening tab faces you and try again.  

Inside you will find Ara sitting right in the middle of the box. Using one hand, hold the box down. Now take Ara with your free hand and pull up to detach it from the box. You may need to wiggle it a bit. Once you remove Ara and the straps that come attached to it, place it next to you on the table.

Inside the box in front of Ara you will find an identification armband, made of fabric and velcro. A slot behind Ara contains a plastic bag with paperwork and finally you will find a collapsing flap in front of the box with two separate sleeves to the right and to the left. The left sleeve contains a USB-C charging cable and inside the right sleeve you will find a pair of earbuds.  

Ara´s Anatomy

Size and Weight: Ara is compact, approximately the size of a hamburger bun. It measures 4.3 inches in width, 3.5 inches in height, and 2.7 inches in thickness. The device has a weight of 12.5 ounces (354 grams), making it lightweight and comfortable to wear.

Shape and Texture: The device boasts an oval shape with a dual-texture design. The front side is composed of hard, rough-textured plastic, which houses essential components such as sensors, ports, and buttons. The back side features a soft, haptic foam that gently rests against your chest, providing comfort during use.

User Interface: To identify the top of Ara, hold the device with the haptic foam facing towards you. You will find a single button with a distinctive groove running along its length – this is the top. At the bottom, there is a USB-C charging port. To the right, you will discover the headphone jack and a volume rocker. The menu button is located on the left side.

Sensors: On the front, Ara is equipped with two types of sensors, distinguishable by their unique indentations. The circular indentations are ultrasonic sensors, strategically positioned in four directions: upwards, forwards, downwards, and sideways. The pill-shaped indentations are LiDAR sensors, with one pointing forward and two pointing downward.

Straps and Haptic Feedback: Extending from the haptic foam are adjustable, textile stretchable straps, designed to fit comfortably to your body. Each strap contains a haptic module (vibration motor), totaling four in the straps. Additionally, the haptic foam itself houses six internal haptic modules. These modules provide tactile feedback, enhancing your spatial awareness.

Hands on Ara

We encourage you to get to know the device in as much detail as possible. Before you manipulate ARA, please make sure to clean your hands thoroughly because dirty fingers may hinder the performance of some of the sensors. Also, please remember to be gentle when touching the sensors and when pressing the buttons.

Take the device with both hands and feel its weight, dimensions, materials and look for the buttons. Once all that is done, we would love for you to truly understand ARA's anatomy. Please be so kind so as to follow along these descriptive steps:

1. Using a table, please put down ARA facing you. You will know the device is facing you by feeling  the hard plastic side towards you and the soft haptic foam behind the device. The second condition to make sure ARA is facing you is that you must feel the large power button with a groove in the middle, right on top of the device at the 12 o'clock position.
2. Once you have made sure ARA is facing you please place your index finger gently on the large button with a groove in the middle which sits on top of the device at the 12 o'clock position.. That is the power button.
3. From the power button slide your finger downwards about an inch to a round indentation. You are now touching the first ultrasonic sensor.
4. Now move downwards another inch and you will feel the second ultrasonic sensor.
5. Move your finger downwards about half an inch and right in the middle of the device you will find a larger oval indentation These are the central lidar sensors.
6. From the oval indentation in the middle please slide your finger one and a half inches to the left until you feel a round indentation. That is the third ultrasonic sensor.
7. Please slide your finger back to the middle oval indentation and now move it another inch and a half to the right. You should now be feeling the fourth ultrasonic sensor.
8. Please slide your finger back to the middle oval indentation and slide it downwards about two inches to the bottom part of the device. You will feel another round indentation which is the fifth and last ultrasonic sensor.
9. From this position move your finger towards the left, roughly half an inch, and you will feel another oval indentation with two bottom LIDAR sensors.
10. Take your finger back to the bottom round indentation and now slide it towards the right to find the last oval indentation with the last couple of LIDAR sensors. Those are the ultrasonic and LIDAR sensor arrays you will find in your ARA device.
11. Now please place your index finger back on the top power button. From there let's move down three places until you can feel the large oval indentation. Once there move your finger to the right towards the round indentation and then keep going right until you find a plastic button. That is the Menu button.
12. Let's place your index finger back on the top power button. From there move down three places until you can feel the large oval indentation again. Once there move your finger to the left towards the round indentation and then keep going left until you find a plastic button. That is the Volume Rocker button. You will notice you can press up and down on this button.
13. Located half an inch above the Volume Rocker button you will find a small round indentation. This is the 3.5 mm headphone jack.
14. Now please place your index finger back on the top power button. From there go downwards 4 indentations. Below the fourth indentation approximately half an inch, located almost at the bottom of the device you will find the USB-C charging port.

Ara's Anatomy in a nutshell

Once we have pinpointed the exact location of all sensors and buttons, let us do a quick recap. Ara's main core is made up of 5 ultrasonic sensors and 3 LIDAR sensors. From the Power Button located at the 12 o'clock position you will find the Menu button at the 3 o'clock position, the USBC charging port at the 6 o'clock position, the volume rocker at the 9 o'clock position and the 3.5mm headphone jack just above the volume rocker.

Ara's buttons and ports at a glance

Power Button

The Power Button can be found at the 12 o'clock position at the very top of the device. This button is large and easily identifiable. It is made with texturized plastic with a distinct groove running through the middle.

Menu Button

The Menu Button is located at the 3 o'clock position or to the right of the device (assuming Ara's sensors are facing the user). The menu button is one solid piece made out of smooth plastic without any grooves or indentations.

USB-C Charging Port

You will find a small USB-C Charging port at the 6 o'clock position at the bottom of the device. This connexion port is meant for a USB-C cable. User will plug USB-C cable into this port to charge Ara's battery.

Volume Rocker Button

The Volume Rocker Button is located at the 9 o'clock position to the left of the device (assuming Ara's sensors are facing the user). The rocker button is made out of smooth plastic. The button can be pressed up or down.

Headphone Jack

The headphone jack is a small and round indentation designed to plug headphones in. This port is located right above the volume rocker to the left of the device (assuming Ara's sensors are facing the user).

Wifi Setup

Remember that in order to connect Ara to your wifi network you need a router/modem with a physical WPS button, if your router/modem does not meet this requirement please go back to  https://strap.tech/en/first-steps-before-you-get-ara

Lets connect Ara to your Wifi Network. Plug in your charger and turn Ara on, then go near your router/modem. You will only have about 60 seconds to pair your device to your wifi network so we suggest you have your Ara device close at hand.

Steps

1. Press the WPS on your router/modem. This is a small button and can be usually found in the back of the modem. Please look into your modem model or contact the manufacturer to get precise information on the location of the WPS button.
2. On your Ara device, press and hold the volume up button and the menu button (left button) for 3 seconds, you will hear a looping sound notification. This means Ara is pairing correctly. The pairing process may take up to 2 minutes.
3. If the pairing process was successful you will hear a confirmation sound. If the pairing process stopped without any further feedback, please try again.
4. Should you want to exit the pairing process, press and hold the power button for 3 seconds, or press and hold for 3 seconds the volume up button and the menu button (left button).

After setting up your internet connection, you will need to access the WPS to update your device. Look at the “Update” section for more detailed instructions. Do NOT press your router/modem’s WPS button since it is already set up for your device and that will only make Ara set its internet connection again.

Note: WPS is a secure connection protocol if done currently, but we are aware it is not the best solution, we are working on a more secure and easier wifi connection and update protocol.

Charging

For charging Ara we include a USB C to USB A charging cable inside the but not a charging brick. We strongly recommend buying an Anker 24W charger with USB A port or any other 24W charger with a USB A port at your own risk.

Once you get your device, charge it for at least 4 hours if you are using a 24 watt charger or above before turning it on. If you are using a lower power charger, charging time will be longer. Make sure Ara has 100 percent battery by pressing the power button once and hearing 4 beeps.

How to Wear Ara

To wear Ara please follow these steps closely:

1. Place Ara on a table in front of you. Make sure the power button is at the 12 o’clock position. If done correctly Ara’s sensors will be pointing at you and the haptic foam will be at the back of the device.
2. Take Ara with both hands and start rotating it to the left until you feel the haptic foam is facing you. If done correctly you should feel the haptic foam  with both your thumbs and the power button should still be at the 12 o’clock position.
3. For Ara to work as intended, the straps need to be placed straight. Hold Ara with your left hand and look for the top right strap. Using your thumb and index fingers start going up the strap making sure it is straight. As you go up you will feel a haptic actuator embedded into the fabric, then you will find a plastic hoop and second plastic hoop at the top of that strap section.
4. Now look for the left top strap and repeat the process to make sure it is set straight.
5. Hold Ara with your left hand and make sure the haptic foam is facing you. Place your right hand under the right and left top straps and hold them while keeping your thumb on top. The straps should be resting on the palm of your hand and you should be able to feel the haptic actuators with your thumb.
6. From this position raise both hands to your eyes level. Use your right hand to move both top straps to the right to get them out of the way and gently let the haptic foam rest against your forehead. Take the left top strap and pass it to the left side of your head. As you do this your head will end between the top left and right straps. Slowly set your hands down and Ara should remain hanging freely from your neck.
7. Once Ara is hanging freely from your neck, the top and mid right straps will form a loop on the right side. To put your arm through that loop, imagine you are putting on a T-shirt and just drive your arm through the loop as if it were a T-shirt sleeve. Once your arm has gone through the loop, adjust the mid right strap so that it feels comfortable and while doing that please check that the strap is straight and not twisted.
8. From this position search for the female plastic buckle which will be hanging from your back. Just use your right hand and reach around until you are able to hold it. Now joint both sides of the buckle to securely fasten your Ara system.

Before pressing the power button please double-check the following:

1. The straps are not twisted, otherwise please set them straight.
2. he device rests snugly on the middle section of your torso. For people with ample breasts, please make sure the device sits below your breasts and not on top otherwise the sensors might not be aligned correctly.

Now you are ready to hit that power button.

Auto-calibration

The first time you get Ara, you will have to calibrate your device for a tailor made experience. Before turning Ara on for the first time, go to an open space, objects need to be at least 2.5 meters away from you. Let’s begin with the autocalibration:

1. Wear Ara as mentioned in the previous section. Make sure the strap system isn’t tangled and that Ara’s sensors are pointing forward as perpendicular to the floor as possible.
2. Stand still in the open space, as mentioned before, with no objects in front of you, otherwise Ara’s Auto-calibration will fail.
3. Turn Ara on by holding and pressing the power button for 3 seconds.
4. When you turn Ara On, press both of the volume buttons (up and down) and the menu button at the same time for 3 seconds, and you will hear the auto-calibration sound which means Ara is ready to begin this process, don’t move or put anything in front of the device (including your hands) for at least 10 seconds.
5. When the Auto-calibration is done, Ara will turn off immediately, and log all the calibration data to your device, this may take up to 6 seconds and turn On back immediately.
6. If the calibration is successful you shouldn’t feel any vibrations when Ara turns back on.

Note: if you feel vibrations, please try again the auto-calibration process by pressing both of the volume buttons and the menu button at the same time for three seconds and you should hear the auto-calibration sound. Repeat steps 4 through 6.

Great, now you can access learning mode, by pressing and holding the menu button for 3 seconds, remember you have to plug in the included headphones located on the bottom flap of the box.

White Cane Mode

White Cane Mode comes activated by default and the downward-looking sensors are turned off. White cane mode lets you use your white cane or guide dog without causing any unwanted vibrations.

Note: Currently, low obstacle detection is gathering data for our artificial intelligence.

Ara has three sensors in charge of detecting low obstacles, since we use proprietary artificial intelligence 2 out of 3 sensors are being used to gather data for 30 days to accomplish maximum resolution to detect curbs, branches, irregularities and recessed obstacles such as wholes, downwards stairs and more, in the meantime there is one of the sensors available for low obstacle detection if you decide to turn off white cane mode. At the moment low obstacle detection has a minimum resolution of a foot tall obstacles protruding from the floor, and no recessed obstacles from the floor. If you wish to turn off white cane mode press and hold the volume-down button for 5 seconds. Before the 30 day timeframe we recommend using Ara in an environment with no recessed obstacles, such as holes and stairs.

Learning Mode

You are all set, now you can either access learning mode here https://strap.tech/en/learning-mode or in your device by pressing and holding the menu button (left button) for 3 seconds. Remember to plug in the included earphones to your device.

Access User’s guide

To access the digital user’s guide you can either click in this link https://strap.tech/onboarding or scan the QR code located on the bottom part of your Ara box in the top right corner (you will fill a square sticker), or inside the box you will find a printed version of user manual. The manual has a QR code that will take you to our onboarding webpage.