Welcome to the World of ‘Calm UI™’

Say goodbye to digital fatigue and distraction, and hello to “Calm UI™,” mui Lab’s proprietary smart home system that keeps technology out of your consciousness. mui Board Gen 2” is the latest, Matter-ready model of our Calm UI and is designed to elevate humanity in residential life while enhancing your convenience and comfort.

mui Board is made with wood to resemble a piece of furniture. The control menu magically appears on the wooden board’s surface with a finger swipe to let you control your smart devices and appliances — just as you would with conventional UIs, such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home — without the distraction of smart screens. 

Stay in the Moment. Feel Positive and at Peace.

What sets the mui Board apart from anything else is that it’s created in accordance with the Calm Technology* principles. Based on the Calm Technology philosophy that “the most profound technology disappears,” our Calm UI® prompts information to appear on the board only when we need it. This, coupled with some playful functionalities of the board, allows you to stay focused on your task at hand and to enjoy more delightful moments with your family. 

Matter Connectivity

Now powered by Matter, mui Board Gen 2 offers a much wider selection of appliance and IoT devices to choose from. Matte is the latest communication standard that enables devices to work across different smart home ecosystems. This means the board has a suite of cutting-edge smart home controls that seamlessly work.

What people say about mui Board Gen 2 Launch 

mui Board’s Functional Revolution

The Gen 2 has undergone an extensive functional makeover from the first generation mui Board.

‘Touch on Wood’ One Touch Scene Prompt

Just touch the wooden surface of the mui Board and watch it come alive. You will have instant access to your custom-bundled smart home controls to create a “scene.” This newly designed prompt makes smart home control a truly organic experience. 

Hand-writing recognition (Digital Ink)

With mui Board Gen 2, users will be able to send hand-written messages to 3rd party services, such as ChatGPT. Thanks to Wacom’s handwriting recognition technology, families will have more options to use handwriting as a way to interact with their connected home (more to be shared later). 

Energy Management 

We are working toward integration of HEMS/SHEMS (Home Energy Management System/Smart Home Energy Management System) controllers. The Energy Window will change its output according to the user’s energy saving behavior. We are also working toward the future inclusion of a similar feature for our global users. 

OTA Automatic Update

The Board comes with an OTA (Over the Air) update function that enables automatic and constant functional updating.

Other mui Board Gen 2 features

Next-Generation Smart Home Experience with Matter

The mui Board Gen 2 supports Matter, the global smart home standard. It enables you to operate a wider range of smart devices with the board, including lighting, air conditioners, blinds, etc.

What is Matter?

Matter is a universal standard for smart homes. It enables seamless communication among smart devices across different ecosystems, regardless of the manufacturers, brands, platforms. 

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), which develops Matter, includes Apple, Google, Samsung, and Amazon. Since 2021, mui Lab has been part of a working group to develop standards.

Chris LaPre, Director of Technology, CSA – MATTER

“We are thrilled to have members like mui lab join the Alliance and commit to Matter-enabled products benefiting their day-to-day lives. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing how mui lab brings their Calm design to the Matter-enabled smart home.”

How Leaders in Tech see mui Board Gen 2 

Amber Case – “Calm Technology” Author

Don Lindsay – Former Apple Lead Developer, Executive

Ivan Poupylev – CEO of Archetype AI (current), former Director of Engineering, ATAP, Google

First generation mui board began with success on Kickstarter 

The original mui board, launched in 2018, was our first attempt at translating Calm Technology’s vision into a product. With the support of 250 Kickstarter backers and over $100,000 in funding helped us realize our vision as a startup, and we are eternally grateful to the Kickstarter community for that!

Since launching the first generation mui board, mui Lab has achieved tremendous growth:

• We have grown into a vibrant startup with over 30 members!
• We have expanded internationally with partners all over the world!
• We have developed a wide range of innovative hardware and technology in partnership with domestic and international companies.

Innovation Born In Kyoto

Our innovation is deeply rooted in the local culture of Kyoto, a city known for it successful blending of tradition and technology. We take inspiration from the people we love and nature, and design products that respect them.

 Inspiration from Kyoto 

The mui Lab office is located on Ebisugawa street, a lively furniture district that has been in existence for over 400 years, not far from the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Everyday, we see how people are able to live in harmony with nature. This inspires us to built technology that lives in harmony with our personal surroundings. (Kaz Oki)

Why we made mui Board Gen 2

Kazunori Oki, President and CEO

Munehiko Sato, CXO

Nobuyasu Hirobe, Creative Director

Our Team

We are a creative group of professionals dedicated to developing products that provide memorable digital experiences. All our products reflect the principles of Calm Technology.

Our Vision and Ultimate Goal

Since the release of the first generation mui board, mui Lab has continued to explore innovative ways to integrate furniture and interior design into digital environments through joint development and collaboration with various companies and artists.

mui Board Gen 2’s User Experience

Intuitive controls that match the body’s movements

 Ambient information woven into the environment

mui Board Gen 2 Product Design

In the Gen 2 development process, we gave serious consideration to feedback from users of the first generation to gain deeper understanding of their experience and expectations for future editions of the board. We then spent a great deal of time discussing new features to include in the second generation.

Why the buttons and holes are gone

The first generation mui Board had a power button, a hole for the speaker, and a hole for the microphone. While all of these features were indicative of an industrial product, they were a far cry from the “single tree” design concept (design to make it look like a single piece of wood) that we decided to engender with Gen 2. The power button and speaker are now placed on the back of the product. There are no longer any holes on the front, sides, top or the bottom of the chassis.

‘Piece of Wood’ Looks & Other Design Improvements 

“Piece of Wood” design: The mui Board no longer has any holes on the front, sides, top or the bottom of the chassis. In accordance with our “Piece of Wood” design concept (design to make it look like a single piece of wood), the power button and speaker are now placed on the back of the product. 

Calm Display That’s Still the Best for everyday living

Just like the first generation of the mui Board, Gen 2 uses lighted dots format with the same pitch for the display. While a higher resolution is possible, we intentionally kept the original format as is because we believe that enables the board to show the appropriate amount of information for consumption at a time without causing distraction for users. 

Inspiration from Nature

We also value the connection we have with nature.
For example, we collected fallen leaves and dead trees to determine the board’s surface colors that would feel natural.  

What do people think of mui Board Gen 2?

During the development phase, we conducted interviews with consumers who live in smart homes to understand how they use digital devices every day and how they share memories with their families. Our UX design for Gen 2 reflects our insights gained through the interviews.

Whitney – Designer living in San Francisco

Pedro – Researcher based in Boston

Yuki – Realtor, living in Manhattan

Prototype development of the second generation of mui boards

The current prototype focuses on functions that support user behaviors, the operational ease and usability of the interface. Simultaneously, we are building the data for the still images and animations that will be displayed on the surface.

Work-in-progress mui Board Gen 2 presented at CES Unveiled

mui Board gen 2 is operated through the dedicated smartphone app “mui – Calm Design”. The app allows users to send and receive messages to and from the mui board, set calendar events, and manage connected smart home devices.

mui – Calm Design” is compatible with iOS and Android devices. In addition to the app, a web app that can be operated from a browser is also available.

• Ability to work with ChatGPT
• Message sending/receiving function between mui boards
• Smart lock integration function

About mui Lab

mui Lab’s mission is to spread Calm Technology around the world. We believe that traditional devices inundate us with information, demand too much of our time, and distract us from the important people around us.

mui was designed to create a modern living and working space where humans can thrive without being dominated by technology. The intent is to stop technology from continually grabbing our attention, pulling us away from our loved ones, and trying to enjoy our private time. Mui’s ability to set boundaries on our personal space and time allows us to be more mindful readers, more creative artists, and better family members.

As technology advances further, our homes will undoubtedly become “smarter.” There will always be some gap between how technology works and how we live. Nevertheless, mui helps people live their lives the way they want by minimizing technological barriers. We think of mui as a tool to help you achieve the lifestyle you desire, just like the favorite furniture you choose to design your living space.

Thank you from the entire mui Lab team!

Privacy Policy

Our privacy policy can be found here. We take care to make our products as secure, and private as possible for our own families and users.