We built Blue, a voice assistant that can use any app on your phone via a tiny USB-C hardware “hand” we call Bud. Here’s how we went from concept to 100 working units in 55 days for YC Demo Day.
3D printed experiments, even the iPhone is 3D printed
The New Way to Use Your Phone with Voice
Blue turns voice into action. Bud enumerates as a standards-based USB HID device and drives iOS’s Accessibility pointer (AssistiveTouch), allowing Blue to tap, swipe, and type across real apps, without requiring APIs or special app integrations. You can say, “Compare these two flights, text the best to John, then buy,” and watch it happen while your hands stay free.
Left: first working prototype, middle: miniaturized, right: production and packaging unit.
The Impossible Deadline.
YC started on July 14 for me, and Alumni Demo Day was on September 7.
I defined “done” as 100 identical, working units that investors and users could plug in and use without any further instruction from us. Claims are easy, but a tray of identical devices is proof.
Sophies Choice(s)
Form factor & pass-through: Bud lives under the phone, featuring a pass-through USB-C port (for charging and CarPlay). The connector height sets the geometry; we locked it early for pocketability and comfort.
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