Presented by: Michelle Logan

Theatre & the New Media

 What is a “Wearable Computer” ?
 A small portable computer that is designed to be
worn on the body during use.

 In this, wearable computers differ from PDAs, which

are designed for hand-held use.

 Wearable computers are usually either integrated

into the user's clothing or can be attached to the
body through some other means, like a wristband.

 They may also be integrated into everyday objects

that are constantly worn on the body, like a wrist
watch or a hands-free cell phone.
AIM OF WEARABLE COMPUTING
 To develop new interfaces that
mediate (augment, deliberately
diminish, or otherwise modify) non-
computer activities

 Without interfering with the user's

everyday tasks

 The design of wearable computers

is still a topic of research, and a
variety of user interfaces are being
proposed.
 Commercialization of W.C.
 Led by companies such as Xybernault, HandyKey, and
ViA. Forced alliances with IBM and Sony in order to make
wearable computing widely available.

 In 1998 Seiko marketed the Ruputer, a computer in a

(fairly large) wristwatch, to mediocre returns.

 In 2001 IBM developed and publicly displayed two

prototypes for a wristwatch computer running Linux, but
the product never came to market.
Wristwatch Computer Videophone

 “Dick Tracy” style watch

 Created by Steve Mann, a

professor at U of T, 2000

 Combination wristwatch and

imaging device

 Send and receive video over

short distances

 Release date???
 HOW IT WORKS

 Some wearable computers use “keyers” (keyswitches

mounted to a grip, rather than to a board, as with a
keyboard) and trackballs as input device.

 Many try to use more intuitive means of input like

gesture, speech recognition or context awareness.

 The output may be presented through displays, lights,

sound or even haptic interfaces.

 Some mediated reality (augmented, diminished, or

otherwise modified reality) systems can also be
considered wearable computers.
EVOLUTION OF
Wearable Computers
 W.C. in the MEDICAL FIELD

 Wrist worn medical monitoring devices

Body Temperature Control for Wearable
Soldier Health Monitoring Systems
OTHER WEARABLE COMPUTERS
 “UnMasking Mr. X” Game
 Computerized Clothing ex. Business Suit easily accessible
to the internet and important documents
 Help the visually impaired
 Space exploration
 Motor Bike Racing – Crew Pit
 Head and Shoulder Cameras
 Sign Language – Glove
 WEARABLE PERFORMANCE
 Flavia Sparacino, Alex Pentland and Glorianna Davenport in
MIT MEDIA LAB

 Offer street performer powerful tools to create innovative

experiences for the audience
 Free performance from the indoor stage, bringing a new
adaptive richness to the mobile world of street theatre
 Motivated by the need to bring performance art to the people
rather than people to the theatre
 Street performers are skilled craftsmen of their own props and
often have the desire to introduce technological skills
 Computing can contribute to street performance in 3 ways:
1) Reduce the amount of “stuff” that the performer needs to carry
around by creating “virtual props” or virtual no-weight musical
instruments
2) Augment and enrich the performance by adding digital actors
that collaborate with the performer in the piece
3) Allow for new types of street performances that were not
possible before the introduction of wearable computers

 5 categories of performers:
1) Entertainers 2) Animators 3) Provocateurs
4) Communicators 5) Performance Artists
 Create a performance that the public is to enjoy as a semantic
transformation of story fragments acted by the mime through the
use of COMPUTER GRAPHICS OBJECTS
Examples:
- Water turned into fire - Simple objects become dangerous
- Mime wearing small wearable computer in packpack
- Flat panel display is connected for audience to use

 The Communicator: The Networked News Teller

 The One Man Orchestra

 VIDEOS

1) Promotional Video for Image

Processing Laboratory, Nara
Institute of Science & Technology
2) Real Time Animation of Water
3) 3-D Illustrated Books

http://chihara.aist-nara.ac.jp/mtheater/index.html
 IS THERE SPACE FOR W.C. ?
 The image of humans interacting with a wearable
computer has been found all over science fiction

 Practical?
- Size - Power Consumption - Real Design Constraints

 Expectations falling short

 Many “works in progress” that will surely develop into

more usuable devices in the future
 WORKS CITED
•http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/9419/29895/01364718.pdf?
isnumber=29895&prod=CNF&arnumber=1364718&arSt=+192&ared=+193&arAuthor=Su
ng%2C+M.%3B+DeVaul%2C+R.%3B+Jimenez%2C+S.%3B+Gips%2C+J.%3B+Pentland
%2C+A
• http://encyclopedia.laborlawtalk.com/Wearable_computer
•http://encyclopedia.laborlawtalk.com/Image:Stevemannwristcomp.jpg
•http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/8353/26316/01167233.pdf?
isnumber=26316&prod=CNF&arnumber=1167233&arSt=+139&are
d=+140&arAuthor=Antifakos%2C+S.%3B+Schiele%2C+B
•http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/8353/26316/01167230.pdf?
isnumber=26316&prod=CNF&arnumber=1167230&arSt=+133&ared
=+134&arAuthor=Lukowicz%2C+P.%3B+Anliker%2C+U.
%3B+Ward%2C+J.%3B+Troster%2C+G.%3B+Hirt%2C+E.
%3B+Neufelt%2C+C
•http://chihara.aist-nara.ac.jp/mtheater/index.html
•http://chihara3.aist-nara.ac.jp/public/services/WARP/