Wearable Computers

Overview

Purpose The early days Technology discussion Gadget requirements Real life applications Capabilities and limitations

Purpose

Computer subsumed into personal space of the user, controlled by the user, and has both operational and interactional constancy Always on and accessible, body/mind extension Different from wrist watches, PDAs, wearable radios etc : they are fully functional computers Need :- todays computers are not personal A person's "personal" computer should be always available, and interact with the user based on context of the situation

The Early Days

Steve Mann :- Inventor of wearable computer 1st wearable computer built in 1979,during the pre-laptop, early computer era Barely usable :- Absence of lightweight, rugged and fast processors and display devices Eyeglass mounted multimedia computer developed during 1980s Powered by the MIT

Operational Modes

Constancy: The computer runs continuously, and is always ready to interact with user. Augmentation: computer should serve to enlarge the intellect, or enlarge the senses. Mediation: computer can encapsulate us

Solitude: allow us to block out material entering the encapsulated space Privacy: allows us to block or modify information leaving the encapsulated space

While units of wearable computing may use mixture of these concepts, augmentation is more general

Attributes

Unmonopolizing of the user's attention :- You can attend to other matters while using the apparatus Unrestrictive to the user: You can do other things while using it Observable by the user: Always available. You can use it when you want. Controllable by the user: You control it. Responsive to the user. Attentive to the environment: Environmentally aware, multimodal, multi-sensory. Communicative to others: used as communication medium by the user when required

Properties

Constant: always ready. May have sleep modes but never dead . Personal: human and computer are inextricably intertwined. Prosthetic: true extension of mind and body. Private: others cant observe or control it unless you let them. Assertive: There can be a barrier to prohibition or to requests by others for removal during times when you wish such a barrier. Expressive:Acts as a direct communication media or assists communication

Rational Details

Software Wear Comp OS (WOS) commonly used. Free and open source softwares and OSes generally used free and customizable. Hardware
1) 2) 3)

4) 5) 6)

Head Mount Display (HMD) Camera Audio, i.e., speaker and microphone. Input Device, like keyboard The computer itself The network connection

Head Mounted Display (HMD)

Small screen, typically covering one of your eyes. Works like an ordinary monitor, providing an image floating in the air in front of you. LCD or TFT technology. Used to be a real CRT in the old days.

Head Mounted Display (HMD)

Transparent displays allows augmented reality, where virtual information overlaps the real world. Opaque displays are less sensitive to the background noise. Present state of the art:- smallest and advanced.

Camera

Any small camera:ordinary web camera or custom made camera. Should be placed suitably: Head, follows users gaze. Shoulder, more stable.

Input Device

Keyboard

Virtual keyboard using EPT. Chording keyboard FrogPad. Arm Strapped Keyboard

Mouse

Wearable fingertip mouse

Input Device

Gestures

The Gesture pendant Uses hand movement for controlling household devices. Uses fingers for dialing numbers
Suitable at times, but not as a generic solution for everything.

Voice recognition

Multi-modal interfaces

Combining several types of input e.g. voice and gestures. Complex to design an efficient multi-modal interface

The Computer Itself

Heart and brain of the wearable Anything small but powerful enough. PC-104 was the first of the kind, developed in 1987. Xybernaut Corporation provides wearable/mobile computing hardware, software and services Giant in the field. Produces Atigo tablet PC, Poma wearable computer, and the MA-V (Mobile Assistant) wearable computer.

Network connection

Benefits of having a network

Access to the Internet. Communication.

Wireless network connection used:- reduces additional burden of wiring Bluetooth, IR, GPRS or UMTS (3G) connections are commonly used.

Powering the Wearable

Power is a significant problem in the current state of wearable computer development. All the devices used consume power. Batteries used in the past and in present :- they never last enough Burden of recharging after use. Typical power consumption ~ 5W

Powering the Wearable

Examples of human power availability

Body heat, 0.6 4.8W (wetsuit clothes) Breath, 0.4 2.5W (pressure mask) Blood pressure, 0.2W (turbine) Limb motion, 0.3 1.5W (pulleys) Finger motion, 0.019W (keyboard typing) Walking, 5 8W (shoe generator)

Power generated while walking could be harnessed to power the wearable. technique is in budding phase now .

Batteries of the Wearable

Low cost batteries (early versions)

lead acid batteries two 12 Volt batteries required for constant applications Inexpensive but bulky Li-Ion batteries used minimum of four batteries is required
to keep the voltage of Li-Ion batteries constant Various components of the wearable require different voltage

High performance batteries (now used)

Voltage Regulator needed

Interconnecting Gadgets

Connecting with wires :- cumbersome Wireless :- comfortable, but easier to eavesdrop on. Solution:- Integrate into the special clothes weaved using special fabric that have electrical conductive paths in it. Silk Organza developed by MIT conducts electricity. It consists of two types of fibers

Copper foil gives conductive properties.

First fibers is an ordinary silk thread Second is a copper foil wrapped silk thread.

Interconnecting Gadgets

Metallic yarn prepared using silk organza. This yarn can be sewn or embroidered. A strip of the fabric would basically function like a ribbon of cable Insulating material used to coat the fabric to avoid short-circuits.

Interconnecting Gadgets

Fabric is cut into suitable shape,. Electronic components, like resistors, capacitors and coils are directly sewn to the fabric. Other electronic devices can be snapped into the fabric by using some kind of gripper snaps, which pierce the yarn to create an electrical contact. These devices can then easily removed in order to clean the fabric.

Real Life Applications

Augmented reality (AR)

Term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with virtual, computer generated images, creating a mixed reality. Achieved by using HMD
It closely monitors the wearer's body functions and the moment that any one of them becomes critical, the predefined medical unit is notified remotely.

MediWear

Real Life Applications

Smart shoes

Inside the shoes there is an array of transducers that picks up the impact upon the ground. Pass to the network the users speed and information about the terrain
Groups of individuals connected together wirelessly creating a virtual small-town global neighborhood aims to reduce crime. Smart shirt Used to find the exact location of a bullet wound

Safety net

Military Applications

Capabilities

Portable, flexible, always accessible, private, convenient, fashionable. Enhanced communication. Used to recognize a person in a high alerted area such as an airport. Unlikely to be dropped or lost . Able to use wearable computers to complete daily tasks such as a computer which tracks the movements and habits of a person. Can be used by surgeons (attached to their arms), this can save time as the surgeons can look at the wearable for information, this will help improve the efficiency of an operation.

Limitations

Constraints of any wireless network

Limited bandwidth. Security. Reliability subject to interference. Speed - ~ 1-108 Mbit/s, reasonably slow. can cause interference in other devices.
Technical - HMD screen still low resolution, no seamless mechanism for I/O. Social - privacy and security. Economical market still small, high cost Political - access rights and spectrum ownership.

Other tough issues

Conclusion

Wearables today

technology does not allow anyone to carry enough computing power on oneself. uncommon, expensive, advanced wearables are very difficult to use. Conventional interaction devices like keyboard that degrade performance are used.
Integrate users information with his/her work environment. User-friendly, smaller, lighter, smarter. Seamless I/O. One can wear without it even being noticed.

Wearables tomorrow

Thank You