Wearable computer

Last updated

Smartwatches are an example of a wearable computer. Apple Watch-.jpg
Smartwatches are an example of a wearable computer.

A wearable computer, also known as a body-borne computer, [1] [2] is a computing device worn on the body. [3] The definition of 'wearable computer' may be narrow or broad, extending to smartphones or even ordinary wristwatches. [4] [5]

Contents

Wearables may be for general use, in which case they are just a particularly small example of mobile computing. Alternatively, they may be for specialized purposes such as fitness trackers. They may incorporate special sensors such as accelerometers, heart rate monitors, or on the more advanced side, electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitors. Under the definition of wearable computers, we also include novel user interfaces such as Google Glass, an optical head-mounted display controlled by gestures. It may be that specialized wearables will evolve into general all-in-one devices, as happened with the convergence of PDAs and mobile phones into smartphones.

Wearables are typically worn on the wrist (e.g. fitness trackers), hung from the neck (like a necklace), strapped to the arm or leg (smartphones when exercising), or on the head (as glasses or a helmet), though some have been located elsewhere (e.g. on a finger or in a shoe). Devices carried in a pocket or bag – such as smartphones and before them, pocket calculators and PDAs, may or may not be regarded as 'worn'.

Wearable computers have various technical issues common to other mobile computing, such as batteries, heat dissipation, software architectures, wireless and personal area networks, and data management. [6] Many wearable computers are active all the time, e.g. processing or recording data continuously.

Applications

Smartphones and smartwatches Smartwatch & Smartphone.jpg
Smartphones and smartwatches

Wearable computers are not only limited to computers such as fitness trackers that are worn on wrists; they also include wearables such as heart pacemakers and other prosthetics. They are used most often in research that focuses on behavioral modeling, health monitoring systems, IT and media development, where the person wearing the computer actually moves or is otherwise engaged with his or her surroundings. Wearable computers have been used for the following:

Wearable computing is the subject of active research, especially the form-factor and location on the body, with areas of study including user interface design, augmented reality, and pattern recognition. The use of wearables for specific applications, for compensating disabilities or supporting elderly people steadily increases. [9]

Operating systems

The dominant operating systems for wearable computing are:

History

Evolution of Steve Mann's WearComp wearable computer from backpack based systems of the 1980s to his current covert systems Wearcompevolution.jpg
Evolution of Steve Mann's WearComp wearable computer from backpack based systems of the 1980s to his current covert systems

Due to the varied definitions of wearable and computer, the first wearable computer could be as early as the first abacus on a necklace, a 16th-century abacus ring, a wristwatch and 'finger-watch' owned by Queen Elizabeth I of England, or the covert timing devices hidden in shoes to cheat at roulette by Thorp and Shannon in the 1960s and 1970s. [11]

However, a general-purpose computer is not merely a time-keeping or calculating device, but rather a user-programmable item for arbitrary complex algorithms, interfacing, and data management. By this definition, the wearable computer was invented by Steve Mann, in the late 1970s: [12] [13] [14]

Steve Mann, a professor at the University of Toronto, was hailed as the father of the wearable computer and the ISSCC's first virtual panelist, by moderator Woodward Yang of Harvard University (Cambridge Mass.).

IEEE ISSCC 8 Feb. 2000

The development of wearable items has taken several steps of miniaturization from discrete electronics over hybrid designs to fully integrated designs, where just one processor chip, a battery, and some interface conditioning items make the whole unit.

1500s

Queen Elizabeth I of England received a watch from Robert Dudley in 1571, as a New Year present; it may have been worn on the forearm rather than the wrist. She also possessed a 'finger-watch' set in a ring, with an alarm that prodded her finger. [15]

1600s

The Qing dynasty saw the introduction of a fully functional abacus on a ring, which could be used while it was being worn. [3] [16]

1960s

In 1961, mathematicians Edward O. Thorp and Claude Shannon built some computerized timing devices to help them win a game of roulette. One such timer was concealed in a shoe [17] and another in a pack of cigarettes. Various versions of this apparatus were built in the 1960s and 1970s.

Thorp refers to himself as the inventor of the first "wearable computer". [11] In other variations, the system was a concealed cigarette-pack-sized analog computer designed to predict the motion of roulette wheels. A data-taker would use microswitches hidden in his shoes to indicate the speed of the roulette wheel, and the computer would indicate an octant of the roulette wheel to bet on by sending musical tones via radio to a miniature speaker hidden in a collaborator's ear canal. The system was successfully tested in Las Vegas in June 1961, but hardware issues with the speaker wires prevented it from being used beyond test runs. [18] This was not a wearable computer because it could not be re-purposed during use; rather it was an example of task-specific hardware. This work was kept secret until it was first mentioned in Thorp's book Beat the Dealer (revised ed.) in 1966 [18] and later published in detail in 1969. [19]

1970s

Pocket calculators became mass-market devices in 1970, starting in Japan. Programmable calculators followed in the late 1970s, being somewhat more general-purpose computers. The HP-01 algebraic calculator watch by Hewlett-Packard was released in 1977. [20]

A camera-to-tactile vest for the blind, launched by C.C. Collins in 1977, converted images into a 1024-point, ten-inch square tactile grid on a vest. [21]

1980s

The 1980s saw the rise of more general-purpose wearable computers. In 1981, Steve Mann designed and built a backpack-mounted 6502-based wearable multimedia computer with text, graphics, and multimedia capability, as well as video capability (cameras and other photographic systems). Mann went on to be an early and active researcher in the wearables field, especially known for his 1994 creation of the Wearable Wireless Webcam, the first example of lifelogging. [22] [23]

Seiko Epson released the RC-20 Wrist Computer in 1984. It was an early smartwatch, powered by a computer on a chip. [24]

In 1989, Reflection Technology marketed the Private Eye head-mounted display, which scans a vertical array of LEDs across the visual field using a vibrating mirror. This display gave rise to several hobbyist and research wearables, including Gerald "Chip" Maguire's IBM/Columbia University Student Electronic Notebook, [25] Doug Platt's Hip-PC, [26] and Carnegie Mellon University's VuMan 1 in 1991. [27]

The Student Electronic Notebook consisted of the Private Eye, Toshiba diskless AIX notebook computers (prototypes), a stylus based input system and a virtual keyboard. It used direct-sequence spread spectrum radio links to provide all the usual TCP/IP based services, including NFS mounted file systems and X11, which all ran in the Andrew Project environment.

The Hip-PC included an Agenda palmtop used as a chording keyboard attached to the belt and a 1.44 megabyte floppy drive. Later versions incorporated additional equipment from Park Engineering. The system debuted at "The Lap and Palmtop Expo" on 16 April 1991.

VuMan 1 was developed as part of a Summer-term course at Carnegie Mellon's Engineering Design Research Center, and was intended for viewing house blueprints. Input was through a three-button unit worn on the belt, and output was through Reflection Tech's Private Eye. The CPU was an 8 MHz 80188 processor with 0.5 MB ROM.

1990s

In the 1990s PDAs became widely used, and in 1999 were combined with mobile phones in Japan to produce the first mass-market smartphone.

Timex Datalink USB Dress edition with Invasion video game. The watch crown (icontrol) can be used to move the defender left to right and the fire control is the Start/Split button on the lower side of the face of the watch at 6 o' clock. Datalink USB Dress Edition.JPG
Timex Datalink USB Dress edition with Invasion video game. The watch crown (icontrol) can be used to move the defender left to right and the fire control is the Start/Split button on the lower side of the face of the watch at 6 o' clock.

In 1993, the Private Eye was used in Thad Starner's wearable, based on Doug Platt's system and built from a kit from Park Enterprises, a Private Eye display on loan from Devon Sean McCullough, and the Twiddler chording keyboard made by Handykey. Many iterations later this system became the MIT "Tin Lizzy" wearable computer design, and Starner went on to become one of the founders of MIT's wearable computing project. 1993 also saw Columbia University's augmented-reality system known as KARMA (Knowledge-based Augmented Reality for Maintenance Assistance). Users would wear a Private Eye display over one eye, giving an overlay effect when the real world was viewed with both eyes open. KARMA would overlay wireframe schematics and maintenance instructions on top of whatever was being repaired. For example, graphical wireframes on top of a laser printer would explain how to change the paper tray. The system used sensors attached to objects in the physical world to determine their locations, and the entire system ran tethered from a desktop computer. [28] [29]

In 1994, Edgar Matias and Mike Ruicci of the University of Toronto, debuted a "wrist computer." Their system presented an alternative approach to the emerging head-up display plus chord keyboard wearable. The system was built from a modified HP 95LX palmtop computer and a Half-QWERTY one-handed keyboard. With the keyboard and display modules strapped to the operator's forearms, text could be entered by bringing the wrists together and typing. [30] The same technology was used by IBM researchers to create the half-keyboard "belt computer. [31] Also in 1994, Mik Lamming and Mike Flynn at Xerox EuroPARC demonstrated the Forget-Me-Not, a wearable device that would record interactions with people and devices and store this information in a database for later query. [32] It interacted via wireless transmitters in rooms and with equipment in the area to remember who was there, who was being talked to on the telephone, and what objects were in the room, allowing queries like "Who came by my office while I was on the phone to Mark?". As with the Toronto system, Forget-Me-Not was not based on a head-mounted display.

Also in 1994, DARPA started the Smart Modules Program to develop a modular, humionic approach to wearable and carryable computers, with the goal of producing a variety of products including computers, radios, navigation systems and human-computer interfaces that have both military and commercial use. In July 1996, DARPA went on to host the "Wearables in 2005" workshop, bringing together industrial, university, and military visionaries to work on the common theme of delivering computing to the individual. [33] A follow-up conference was hosted by Boeing in August 1996, where plans were finalized to create a new academic conference on wearable computing. In October 1997, Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, and Georgia Tech co-hosted the IEEE International Symposium on Wearables Computers (ISWC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The symposium was a full academic conference with published proceedings and papers ranging from sensors and new hardware to new applications for wearable computers, with 382 people registered for the event. In 1998, the Microelectronic and Computer Technology Corporation created the Wearable Electronics consortial program for industrial companies in the U.S. to rapidly develop wearable computers. [34] The program preceded the MCC Heterogeneous Component Integration Study, an investigation of the technology, infrastructure, and business challenges surrounding the continued development and integration of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) with other system components.

In 1998, Steve Mann invented and built the world's first smartwatch. It was featured on the cover of Linux Journal in 2000, and demonstrated at ISSCC 2000. [35] [36] [37]

2000s

Dr. Bruce H. Thomas and Dr. Wayne Piekarski developed the Tinmith wearable computer system to support augmented reality. This work was first published internationally in 2000 at the ISWC conference. The work was carried out at the Wearable Computer Lab in the University of South Australia.

In 2002, as part of Kevin Warwick's Project Cyborg, Warwick's wife, Irena, wore a necklace which was electronically linked to Warwick's nervous system via an implanted electrode array. The color of the necklace changed between red and blue dependent on the signals on Warwick's nervous system. [38]

Also in 2002, Xybernaut released a wearable computer called the Xybernaut Poma Wearable PC, Poma for short. Poma stood for Personal Media Appliance. The project failed for a few reasons though the top reasons are that the equipment was expensive and clunky. The user would wear a head-mounted optical piece, a CPU that could be clipped onto clothing, and a mini keyboard that was attached to the user's arm. [39]

GoPro released their first product, the GoPro HERO 35mm, which began a successful franchise of wearable cameras. The cameras can be worn atop the head or around the wrist and are shock and waterproof. GoPro cameras are used by many athletes and extreme sports enthusiasts, a trend that became very apparent during the early 2010s.

In the late 2000s, various Chinese companies began producing mobile phones in the form of wristwatches, the descendants of which as of 2013 include the i5 and i6, which are GSM phones with 1.8-inch displays, and the ZGPAX s5 Android wristwatch phone.

2010s

LunaTik, a machined wristband attachment for the 6th-generation iPod Nano IPod Nano - LunaTik and TikTok.jpg
LunaTik, a machined wristband attachment for the 6th-generation iPod Nano

Standardization with IEEE, IETF, and several industry groups (e.g. Bluetooth) lead to more various interfacing under the WPAN (wireless personal area network). It also led the WBAN (Wireless body area network) to offer new classification of designs for interfacing and networking. The 6th-generation iPod Nano, released in September 2010, has a wristband attachment available to convert it into a wearable wristwatch computer.

The development of wearable computing spread to encompass rehabilitation engineering, ambulatory intervention treatment, life guard systems, and defense wearable systems.[ clarification needed ]

Sony produced a wristwatch called Sony SmartWatch that must be paired with an Android phone. Once paired, it becomes an additional remote display and notification tool. [40]

Fitbit released several wearable fitness trackers and the Fitbit Surge, a full smartwatch that is compatible with Android and iOS.

On 11 April 2012, Pebble launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $100,000 for their initial smartwatch model. The campaign ended on 18 May with $10,266,844, over 100 times the fundraising target. [41] Pebble released several smartwatches, including the Pebble Time and the Pebble Round.

Google Glass, Google's head-mounted display, which was launched in 2013 Google Glass detail.jpg
Google Glass, Google's head-mounted display, which was launched in 2013

Google Glass launched their optical head-mounted display (OHMD) to a test group of users in 2013, before it became available to the public on 15 May 2014. [42] Google's mission was to produce a mass-market ubiquitous computer that displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format [43] that can interact with the Internet via natural language voice commands. [44] [45] Google Glass received criticism over privacy and safety concerns. On 15 January 2015, Google announced that it would stop producing the Google Glass prototype but would continue to develop the product. According to Google, Project Glass was ready to "graduate" from Google X, the experimental phase of the project. [46]

Thync, a headset launched in 2014, is a wearable that stimulates the brain with mild electrical pulses, causing the wearer to feel energized or calm based on input into a phone app. The device is attached to the temple and to the back of the neck with an adhesive strip. [47]

Macrotellect launched two portable brainwave (EEG) sensing devices, BrainLink Pro and BrainLink Lite in 2014, which allows families and meditation students to enhance the mental fitness and stress relief with 20+ brain fitness enhancement Apps on Apple and Android App Stores. [48]

In January 2015, Intel announced the sub-miniature Intel Curie for wearable applications, based on its Intel Quark platform. As small as a button, it features a six-axis accelerometer, a DSP sensor hub, a Bluetooth LE unit, and a battery charge controller. [49] It was scheduled to ship in the second half of the year.

On 24 April 2015, Apple released their take on the smartwatch, known as the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch features a touchscreen, many applications, and a heart-rate sensor. [50] The Apple Watch would later become the most popular wristwatch in the world. [51]

Some advanced VR headsets require the user to wear a desktop-sized computer as a backpack to enable them to move around freely.

2020s

On June 5, 2023, Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, an AR headset with a computer built in that has a screen on the front, allowing others to see the wearer's face. [52]

Commercialization

Image of the ZYPAD wrist wearable computer from Eurotech Zypad.jpg
Image of the ZYPAD wrist wearable computer from Eurotech
The Fitbit Charge Fitbit Charge HR.jpg
The Fitbit Charge

The commercialization of general-purpose wearable computers, as led by companies such as Xybernaut, CDI and ViA, Inc. has thus far been met with limited success. Publicly traded Xybernaut tried forging alliances with companies such as IBM and Sony in order to make wearable computing widely available, and managed to get their equipment seen on such shows as The X-Files, but in 2005 their stock was delisted and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid financial scandal and federal investigation. Xybernaut emerged from bankruptcy protection in January, 2007. ViA, Inc. filed for bankruptcy in 2001 and subsequently ceased operations.

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. The last message about them dates to 2004, [53] saying the device would cost about $250, but it is still under development. In 2002, Fossil, Inc. announced the Fossil Wrist PDA, which ran the Palm OS. Its release date was set for summer of 2003, but was delayed several times and was finally made available on 5 January 2005. Timex Datalink is another example of a practical wearable computer. Hitachi launched a wearable computer called Poma in 2002. Eurotech offers the ZYPAD, a wrist-wearable touch screen computer with GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and which can run a number of custom applications. [54] In 2013, a wearable computing device on the wrist to control body temperature was developed at MIT. [55]

Evidence of weak market acceptance was demonstrated when Panasonic Computer Solutions Company's product failed. Panasonic has specialized in mobile computing with their Toughbook line since 1996 [56] and has extensive market research into the field of portable, wearable computing products. In 2002, Panasonic introduced a wearable brick computer coupled with a handheld or a touchscreen worn on the arm. The "Brick" Computer is the CF-07 Toughbook, dual batteries, screen used same batteries as the base, 800 x 600 resolution, optional GPS and WWAN. Has one M-PCI slot and one PCMCIA slot for expansion. CPU used is a 600 MHz Pentium 3 factory under clocked to 300 MHz so it can stay cool passively as it has no fan. Micro DIM RAM is upgradeable. The screen can be used wirelessly on other computers. The brick would communicate wirelessly to the screen, and concurrently the brick would communicate wirelessly out to the internet or other networks. The wearable brick was quietly pulled from the market in 2005, while the screen evolved to a thin client touchscreen used with a handstrap.

Google has announced that it has been working on a head-mounted display-based wearable "augmented reality" device called Google Glass. An early version of the device was available to the US public from April 2013 until January 2015. Despite ending sales of the device through their Explorer Program, Google has stated that they plan to continue developing the technology. [57] [58] [59]

LG and iriver produce earbud wearables measuring heart rate and other biometrics, as well as various activity metrics. [60] [61]

Greater response to commercialization has been found in creating devices with designated purposes rather than all-purpose. One example is the WSS1000. [62] The WSS1000 is a wearable computer designed to make the work of inventory employees easier and more efficient. The device allows workers to scan the barcode of items and immediately enter the information into the company system. This removed the need for carrying a clipboard, removed error and confusion from hand written notes, and allowed workers the freedom of both hands while working; the system improves accuracy as well as efficiency. [4]

Many technologies for wearable computers derive their ideas from science fiction. There are many examples of ideas from popular movies that have become technologies or are technologies currently being developed.

3D user interface
Devices that display usable, tactile interfaces that can be manipulated in front of the user. Examples include the glove-operated hologram computer featured at the Pre-Crime headquarters in the beginning of Minority Report and the computers used by the gate workers at Zion in The Matrix trilogy.
Intelligent textiles or smartwear
Clothing that can relay and collect information. Examples include Tron and its sequel, and also many sci-fi military films.
Threat glasses
Scan others in vicinity and assess threat-to-self level. Examples include Terminator 2 , 'Threep' Technology in Lock-In, and Kill switch.
Computerized contact lenses
Special contact lenses that are used to confirm one's identity. Used in Mission Impossible 4 .
Combat suit armor
A wearable exoskeleton that provides protection to its wearer and is typically equipped with powerful weapons and a computer system. Examples include numerous Iron Man suits, the Predator suit, along with Samus Aran's Power Suit and Fusion Suit in the Metroid video game series.
Brain nano-bots to store memories in the cloud
Used in Total Recall.
Infrared headsets
Can help identify suspects and see through walls. Examples include Robocop's special eye system, as well as some more advanced visors that Samus Aran uses in the Metroid Prime trilogy.
Wrist-worn computers
Provide various abilities and information, such as data about the wearer, a vicinity map, a flashlight, a communicator, a poison detector or an enemy-tracking device. Examples included are the Pip-Boy 3000 from the Fallout games and Leela's Wrist Device from the Futurama TV sitcom.
On-chest or smart necklace
This form-factor of wearable computer has been shown in many sci-fi movies, including Prometheus and Iron Man.

Advancement with wearable technology over years

Technology has advanced with continuous change in wearable computers. Wearable technologies are increasingly used in healthcare. For instance, portable sensors are used as medical devices which helps patients with diabetes to help them keep track of exercise related data. [63] A number of people think wearable technology as a new trend;[ citation needed ] however, companies have been trying to develop or design wearable technologies for decades. The spotlight has more recently been focused on new types of technology which are more focused on improving efficiency in the wearer's life.

Main elements of wearable computers

Challenges with wearable computers

Wearable technology comes with many challenges, like data security, trust issues, and regulatory and ethical issues. After 2010, wearable technologies have been seen more as a technology focused mostly on fitness. [64] They have been used with the potential to improve the operations of health and many other professions. With an increase in wearable devices, privacy and security issues can be very important, especially when it comes to health devices. Also, the FDA considers wearable devices as "general wellness products". In the US, wearable devices are not under any Federal laws, but regulatory law like Protected Health Information (PHI) is the subject to regulation which is handled by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The devices with sensors can create security issues as the companies have to be more alert to protect the public data. The issue with cybersecurity of these devices are the regulations are not that strict in the US.[ citation needed ] Likewise, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a code called NIST Cyber security Framework, but it is not mandatory. [65]

Consequently, the lack of specific regulations for wearable devices, specifically medical devices, increases the risk of threats and other vulnerabilities. For instance, Google Glass raised major privacy risks with wearable computer technology; Congress investigated the privacy risks related to consumers using Google Glass and how they[ clarification needed ] use the data.[ citation needed ] The product can be used to track not only the users of the product but others around them, particularly without them being aware. Nonetheless, all the data captured with Google Glass was then stored on Google's cloud servers, giving them access to the data. They also raised questions regarding women's security as they allowed stalkers or harassers to take intrusive pictures of women's bodies by wearing the Glass without any fear of getting caught. [66]

Wearable technologies like smart glasses can also raise cultural and social issues. Although wearable technologies can make life easier and more enjoyable, some devices (e.g.: Bluetooth headphones) can make people more dependent on technology than on interaction with nearby humans. [67] Society considers these technologies luxury accessories and there may be peer pressure within a group to own similar products. These products raise challenges of social and moral discipline. For instance, wearing a smart watch can be a way to fit in with standards in male-dominated fields, where femininity may be perceived as unprofessional. [68]

Despite the fact that the demand for this technology is increasing, one of the biggest challenges is the price. For example, as of March 2023, the price of an Apple Watch ranges from $249 to $1,749, which for a normal consumer can be prohibitively expensive. [69]

Future innovations

Augmented reality allows a new generation of display. As opposed to virtual reality, the user does not exist in a virtual world, but information is superimposed on the real world.

These displays can be easily portable, such as the Vufine+. [70] [71] Other are quite massive, like the Hololens 2. [72] Some headsets are autonomous, such as the Oculus Quest 2 [73] and others. In contrast to a computer, they are more like a terminal module.

Single-board computers (SBC) are improving in performance and becoming cheaper. Some boards are cheap such as the Raspberry Pi Zero and Pi 4, while others are more expensive but more similar to a normal PC, like the Hackboard and LattePanda.

One main domain of future research could be the method of control. Today computers are commonly controlled through the keyboard and the mouse, which could change in the future. For example, the words per minute rate on a keyboard could be statistically improved with a BEPO layout. [74] Ergonomics could also change the results with split keyboards and minimalist keyboards (which use one key for more than one letter or symbol). The extreme could be the Plover and steno keyboard that allow the use of very few keys, pressing more than one at the same time for a letter.

Furthermore, the pointer could be improved from a basic mouse to an accelerator pointer.

The system of gesture controls is evolving from image control (Leap Motion camera) to integrated capture (ex-prototype AI data glove [75] from Zack Freedman.) For some people, the main idea could be to build computers integrated with the AR system which will be controlled with ergonomic controllers. It will make a universal machine that can be as portable as a mobile phone and as efficient as a computer, additionally with ergonomic controllers.

Military use

Wristband computer Wristband computer.png
Wristband computer

The wearable computer was introduced to the US Army in 1989 as a small computer that was meant to assist soldiers in battle. Since then, the concept has grown to include the Land Warrior program and proposal for future systems. [76] The most extensive military program in the wearables arena is the US Army's Land Warrior system, [77] which will eventually be merged into the Future Force Warrior system. [78] There are also researches for increasing the reliability of terrestrial navigation. [79]

F-INSAS is an Indian military project, designed largely with wearable computing.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augmented reality</span> View of the real world with computer-generated supplementary features

Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated 3D content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be defined as a system that incorporates three basic features: a combination of real and virtual worlds, real-time interaction, and accurate 3D registration of virtual and real objects. The overlaid sensory information can be constructive, or destructive. As such, it is one of the key technologies in the reality-virtuality continuum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer-mediated reality</span> Ability to manipulate ones perception of reality through the use of a computer

Computer-mediated reality refers to the ability to add to, subtract information from, or otherwise manipulate one's perception of reality through the use of a wearable computer or hand-held device such as a smartphone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile device</span> Small, hand-held computing device

A mobile device or handheld computer is a computer small enough to hold and operate in hand. Mobile devices are typically battery-powered and possess a flat-panel display and one or more built-in input devices, such as a touchscreen or keypad. Modern mobile devices often emphasize wireless networking, to both the Internet and to other devices in their vicinity, such as headsets or in-car entertainment systems, via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular networks, or near-field communication.

Synaptics, Inc. American neural network technologies and computer-to-human interface devices development company based in San Jose, California. It develops touchpads and fingerprint biometrics technology for computer laptops; touch, display driver, and fingerprint biometrics technology for smartphones; and touch, video and far-field voice, and wireless technology for smart home devices, wearables, and automobiles. Synaptics sells its products to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and display manufacturers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Head-mounted display</span> Type of display device

A head-mounted display (HMD) is a display device, worn on the head or as part of a helmet, that has a small display optic in front of one or each eye. HMDs have many uses including gaming, aviation, engineering, and medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual keyboard</span> Software component

A virtual keyboard is a software component that allows the input of characters without the need for physical keys. Interaction with a virtual keyboard happens mostly via a touchscreen interface, but can also take place in a different form when in virtual or augmented reality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-touch</span> Touchscreen interactions using multiple fingers

In computing, multi-touch is technology that enables a surface to recognize the presence of more than one point of contact with the surface at the same time. The origins of multitouch began at CERN, MIT, University of Toronto, Carnegie Mellon University and Bell Labs in the 1970s. CERN started using multi-touch screens as early as 1976 for the controls of the Super Proton Synchrotron. Capacitive multi-touch displays were popularized by Apple's iPhone in 2007. Multi-touch may be used to implement additional functionality, such as pinch to zoom or to activate certain subroutines attached to predefined gestures using gesture recognition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile phone accessories</span> Accessories for mobile phones

Mobile accessories include any hardware that is not integral to the operation of a mobile smartphone as designed by the manufacturer, and adds utility to the mobile phone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wearable technology</span> Clothing and accessories incorporating computer and advanced electronic technologies

Wearable technology is any technology that is designed to be used while worn. Common types of wearable technology include smartwatches and smartglasses. Wearable electronic devices are often close to or on the surface of the skin, where they detect, analyze, and transmit information such as vital signs, and/or ambient data and which allow in some cases immediate biofeedback to the wearer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile technology</span> Technology used for cellular communication

Mobile technology is the technology used for cellular communication. Mobile technology has evolved rapidly over the past few years. Since the start of this millennium, a standard mobile device has gone from being no more than a simple two-way pager to being a mobile phone, GPS navigation device, an embedded web browser and instant messaging client, and a handheld gaming console. Many experts believe that the future of computer technology rests in mobile computing with wireless networking. Mobile computing by way of tablet computers is becoming more popular. Tablets are available on the 3G and 4G networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smartwatch</span> Wearable computer in the form of a watch

A smartwatch is a portable wearable computer that resembles a wristwatch. Most modern smartwatches are operated via a touchscreen, and rely on mobile apps that run on a connected device in order to provide core functions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recon Instruments</span>

Recon Instruments was a Canadian technology company that produced smartglasses and wearable displays marketed by the company as "heads-up displays" for sports. Recon's products delivered live activity metrics, GPS maps, and notifications directly to the user's eye. Recon's first heads-up display offering was released commercially in October 2010, roughly a year and a half before Google introduced Google Glass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-i</span>

The Golden-i platform consists of multiple mobile wireless wearable headset computers operated by voice commands and head movements. It was developed at Kopin Corporation by a team led by Jeffrey Jacobsen, chief Golden-i architect and senior advisor to the CEO. Utilizing a speech controlled user interface and head-tracking functionality, Golden-i enables the user to carry out common computer functions whilst keeping their hands free.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Optical head-mounted display</span> Type of wearable device

An optical head-mounted display (OHMD) is a wearable device that has the capability of reflecting projected images as well as allowing the user to see through it. In some cases, this may qualify as augmented reality (AR) technology. OHMD technology has existed since 1997 in various forms, but despite a number of attempts from industry, has yet to have had major commercial success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Activity tracker</span> Device or application for monitoring fitness

An activity tracker is an electronic device or app that measures and collects data about an individual's movements and physical responses, towards the goal of monitoring and improving their health, fitness, or psychological wellness over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smartglasses</span> Wearable computers glasses

Smartglasses or smart glasses are eye or head-worn wearable computers. Many smartglasses include displays that add information alongside or to what the wearer sees. Alternatively, smartglasses are sometimes defined as glasses that are able to change their optical properties, such as smart sunglasses that are programmed to change tint by electronic means. Alternatively, smartglasses are sometimes defined as glasses that include headphone functionality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wear OS</span> Smartwatch operating system by Google

Wear OS is a version of Google's Android operating system designed for smartwatches and other wearables. By pairing with mobile phones running Android version 6.0 "Marshmallow" or newer, or iOS version 10.0 or newer with limited support from Google's pairing application, Wear OS integrates Google Assistant technology and mobile notifications into a smartwatch form factor. Wear OS is closed-source, in contrast to the free and open-source Android.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neptune Pine</span>

The Neptune Pine is an unlocked GSM standalone, full featured smartwatch developed by Canadian consumer electronics and wearable technology company Neptune. It was announced in January 2013 by Simon Tian and launched in November 2013 on Kickstarter. Within 27 hours, the campaign had reached its funding goal of $100,000, and ultimately went on to raise more than $800,000 in 30 days, becoming the highest-funded Canadian Kickstarter campaign at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual reality headset</span> Head-mounted device that provides virtual reality for the wearer

A virtual reality headset is a head-mounted device that uses 3D near-eye displays and positional tracking to provide a virtual reality environment for the user. VR headsets are widely used with VR video games, but they are also used in other applications, including simulators and trainers. VR headsets typically include a stereoscopic display, stereo sound, and sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes for tracking the pose of the user's head to match the orientation of the virtual camera with the user's eye positions in the real world. AR headsets are similar to VR headsets, but AR headsets enable the user to see and interact with the outside world. Examples of AR headsets include the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulse watch</span> Electronic device for monitoring heart rate

A pulse watch, also known as a pulsometer or pulsograph, is an individual monitoring and measuring device with the ability to measure heart or pulse rate. Detection can occur in real time or can be saved and stored for later review. The pulse watch measures electrocardiography data while the user is performing tasks, whether it be simple daily tasks or intense physical activity. The pulse watch functions without the use of wires and multiple sensors. This makes it useful in health and medical settings where wires and sensors may be an inconvenience. Use of the device is also common in sport and exercise environments where individuals are required to measure and monitor their biometric data.

References

  1. Wearable Computing . Retrieved 23 March 2018.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  2. Barfield, Woodrow (29 July 2015). Fundamentals of Wearable Computers and Augmented Reality, Second Edition. CRC Press. p. 4. ISBN   9781482243512.
  3. 1 2 Mann, Steve (2012): Wearable Computing. In: Soegaard, Mads and Dam, Rikke Friis (eds.). "Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction". Aarhus, Denmark: The Interaction-Design.org Foundation.
  4. 1 2 Starner, Thad E. (January 2002). "Wearable Computers: No Longer Science Fiction" (PDF). Pervasive Computing. 1: 86–88. doi:10.1109/mprv.2002.993148.
  5. "Evolution of Smartwatches With Time: A Infographic Timeline | TopGizmo". TopGizmo. 11 March 2016. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  6. O'Donoghue, John; Herbert, John (2012). "Data Management within mHealth Environments: Patient Sensors, Mobile Devices, and Databases". Journal of Data and Information Quality. 4: 1–20. doi:10.1145/2378016.2378021. S2CID   2318649.
  7. Chris Davies (12 September 2012). "Quantigraphic camera promises HDR eyesight from Father of AR". SlashGear.
  8. Microsoft, (3 August 2011), Dressing for the Future: Microsoft Duo Breaks Through with Wearable Technology Concept, Microsoft News Center
  9. Paolillo, Emily W.; Lee, Shannon Y.; VandeBunte, Anna; Djukic, Nina; Fonseca, Corrina; Kramer, Joel H.; Casaletto, Kaitlin B. (10 June 2022). "Wearable Use in an Observational Study Among Older Adults: Adherence, Feasibility, and Effects of Clinicodemographic Factors". Frontiers in Digital Health. 4: 884208. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2022.884208 . ISSN   2673-253X. PMC   9231611 . PMID   35754462.
  10. "Google Is Finally Taking Smartwatches Seriously". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  11. 1 2 Thorp, Edward (October 1998). "The invention of the first wearable computer". Digest of Papers. Second International Symposium on Wearable Computers (Cat. No.98EX215). pp. 4–8. doi:10.1109/iswc.1998.729523. ISBN   0-8186-9074-7. S2CID   1526.
  12. Peter Clarke. "IEEE ISSCC 2000: 'Dick Tracy' watch watchers disagree". EE Times.
  13. Katherine Watier (19 April 2003). "Marketing Wearable Computers to Consumers: An Examination of Early Adopter Consumers' Feelings and Attitudes Toward Wearable Computers". Washington, DC.
  14. Tara Kieffner. "Wearable Computers: An Overview". Archived from the original on 26 May 2001.
  15. David Boettcher, "The "Invention" of the Wristwatch", Eur Ing David Boettcher, April 2015
  16. "Huizhou people's abacus complex". Xinhua News Agency. 20 July 2006.
  17. "Eudaemonic Lightvectors". 15 May 2021. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  18. 1 2 Raseana.k.a shigady, Beat the Dealer, 2nd Edition, Vintage, New York, 1966. ISBN   0-394-70310-3
  19. Thorp, E. O. (1969). "Optimal Gambling Systems for Favorable Games". Revue de l'Institut International de Statistique / Review of the International Statistical Institute. 37 (3): 273–293. doi:10.2307/1402118. JSTOR   1402118.
  20. Andre F. Marion, Edward A. Heinsen, Robert Chin, and Bennie E. Helmso, wrist instrument Opens New Dimension in Personal Information "Wrist instrument opens new dimension in personal information", Hewlett-Packard Journal, December 1977. See also HP-01 wrist instrument, 1977.
  21. C.C. Collins, L.A. Scadden, and A.B. Alden, "Mobile Studies with a Tactile Imaging Device," Fourth Conference on Systems & Devices for the Disabled, 1–3 June 1977, Seattle WA.
  22. Mann, S. (1997). "An historical account of the 'WearComp' and 'WearCam' inventions developed for applications in 'personal imaging'". Digest of Papers. First International Symposium on Wearable Computers. pp. 66–73. doi:10.1109/iswc.1997.629921. ISBN   0-8186-8192-6. S2CID   1075800.
  23. Mann, S. (1997). "Wearable Computing: A First Step Toward Personal Imaging". IEEE Computer. 30 (2): 25–32. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.58.3706 . doi:10.1109/2.566147. S2CID   28001657.
  24. Japanese PCs (1984) (14:05), Computer Chronicles
  25. J. Peter Bade, G.Q. Maguire Jr., and David F. Bantz, The IBM/Columbia Student Electronic Notebook Project, IBM, T. J. Watson Research Lab., Yorktown Heights, NY, 29 June 1990. (The work was first shown at the DARPA Workshop on Personal Computer Systems, Washington, D.C., 18 January 1990.)
  26. Simson Garfinkel (9 March 1993). "Dressed for Success" (PDF). The Village Voice: 51.
  27. "WearableGroup at Carnegie Mellon". Archived from the original on 27 September 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  28. Feiner, Steven; MacIntyre, Blair; Seligmann, Dorée (1993). "Knowledge-based augmented reality". Communications of the ACM. 36 (7): 53–62. doi: 10.1145/159544.159587 . S2CID   9930875.
  29. "KARMA". columbia.edu. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2005.
  30. Matias, Edgar; MacKenzie, I. Scott; Buxton, William (1994). "Half-QWERTY: Typing with one hand using your two-handed skills". Conference Companion on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI '94. pp. 51–52. doi:10.1145/259963.260024. ISBN   0897916514. S2CID   356533.
  31. Matias, Edgar; MacKenzie, I. Scott; Buxton, William (1996). "A wearable computer for use in microgravity space and other non-desktop environments". Conference Companion on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI '96. pp. 69–70. doi:10.1145/257089.257146. ISBN   0897918320. S2CID   36192147.
  32. Mik Lamming and Mike Flynn, "'Forget-me-not' Intimate Computing in Support of Human Memory" Archived 26 April 2006 at the Wayback Machine in Proceedings FRIEND21 Symposium on Next Generation Human Interfaces
  33. E.C. Urban, Kathleen Griggs, Dick Martin, Dan Siewiorek and Tom Blackadar, Proceedings of Wearables in 2005 Archived 14 September 2005 at the Wayback Machine , Arlington, VA, 18–19 July 1996.
  34. "MCC Launches Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems Investigation". 24 February 1999. Archived from the original on 24 February 1999. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  35. Watches: Innovation on Time, Trailblazers, Season 3, Episode 2
  36. The History of Wearable Tech: From Calculator Watches to VR Headsets, Social Media Week, 5 April 2018
  37. Linux Journal, July 2000, Issue 75, Cover + pages 86-91
  38. Warwick, K, "I, Cyborg", University of Illinois Press, 2004
  39. Pierini, David (26 July 2015). "First wearable computers made you look like a freaking Borg". Cult of Mac. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  40. "Sony SmartWatch".
  41. Newman, Jared. "Pebble Smartwatch Pre-Orders Are Sold Out, $10+ Million Pledged". Time. ISSN   0040-781X . Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  42. "Here's your chance to get Google glass", Gadget cluster, April 2014, archived from the original on 6 May 2017, retrieved 17 February 2016.
  43. Albanesius, Chloe (4 April 2012). "Google 'Project Glass' Replaces the Smartphone With Glasses". PC Magazine. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  44. Newman, Jared (4 April 2012). "Google's 'Project Glass' Teases Augmented Reality Glasses". PC World. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  45. Bilton, Nick (23 February 2012). "Behind the Google Goggles, Virtual Reality". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  46. "Google Glass sales halted but firm says kit is not dead". BBC News. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  47. Russell, Kyle (2 June 2015). "Hands-On With Thync's Mood-Altering Headset". TechCrunch. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  48. "APP – Macrotellect". o.macrotellect.com. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  49. "Intel® Curie™ Module: Unleashing Wearable Device Innovation". Intel. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  50. Chen, Brian X.; Bilton, Nick (2 February 2014). "Building a Better Battery". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  51. Statt, Nick (6 February 2020). "Apple now sells more watches than the entire Swiss watch industry". The Verge. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  52. "Introducing Apple Vision Pro: Apple's first spatial computer". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  53. "Watch This Wednesday: the Linux Watch -- Engadget". Engadget. 10 July 2011. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  54. "Eurotech Group: embedded boards, rugged systems for integrated solutions – high performance computing". arcom.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2007.
  55. Smith, Nancy duvergne (5 November 2013). "Wristify: Thermal Comfort via a Wrist Band". Slice of MIT. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  56. Weiss, Todd R. (30 September 2016). "Panasonic Toughbooks Hit Their 20-Year Anniversary". eWEEK. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  57. "Project Glass – Google+ – We think technology should work for you—to be there when…" . Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  58. "Last week we told you we'd be trying out new ways to find Explorers. Well, we…" . Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  59. "Google Glass sales halted but firm says kit is not dead". BBC . 15 January 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  60. Burns, Matt (5 June 2014). "The LG LifeBand Touch And HeartRate Earphones Are The Wonder Twins of Activity Trackers". TechCrunch .
  61. Kooser, Amanda (10 January 2013). "Fitness sensor earphones gather health data, deliver music". CNET .
  62. "WSS1000/1060 Wearable Scanning & Computing System". www.symbol.com. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  63. Klonoff, David C. (January 2014). "New Wearable Computers Move Ahead". Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. 8 (1): 3–5. doi:10.1177/1932296813518858. ISSN   1932-2968. PMC   4454092 . PMID   24876529.
  64. Sultan, Nabil (1 October 2015). "Reflective thoughts on the potential and challenges of wearable technology for healthcare provision and medical education". International Journal of Information Management. 35 (5): 521–526. doi:10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2015.04.010. ISSN   0268-4012.
  65. Research, Globaldata Thematic (13 November 2019). "Title Wearable technology in healthcare: What are the leading themes?". Medical Device Network. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  66. "EPIC - Google Glass and Privacy". Electronic Privacy Information Center. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  67. Dvorak, Joseph L. (2008), "Social Issues of Wearables", Moving Wearables into the Mainstream, Springer US, pp. 311–332, doi:10.1007/978-0-387-69142-8_10, ISBN   978-0-387-69139-8
  68. Tamminen, Sakari; Holmgren, Elisabet (1 November 2016). "The Anthropology of Wearables: The Self, The Social, and the Autobiographical". Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference Proceedings. 2016 (1): 154–174. doi: 10.1111/1559-8918.2016.01083 . ISSN   1559-8918.
  69. "Buy Apple Watch". Apple. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  70. "Vufine+ Wearable Display Field Review". CineD. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  71. Ghoshal, Abhimanyu (11 November 2016). "Vufine+Review: An affordable heads-up display for those who need one". TNW | Plugged. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  72. "Microsoft HoloLens 2 all you need to know | BE-terna". www.be-terna.com. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  73. Lynch, Gerald (26 July 2021). "Oculus Quest 2 review". TechRadar. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  74. France, Connexion. "French computer keyboards to change - what is Bépo?". www.connexionfrance.com. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  75. AI Data Glove: Somatic, 31 August 2020, archived from the original on 11 December 2021, retrieved 16 October 2021
  76. Zieniewicz, Matthew J.; D. C. Johnson; D.C. Wong; J. D Flatt (2002). "The Evolution of Army Wearable Computers". Pervasive Computing. 4. 1 (4): 30–40. doi:10.1109/mprv.2002.1158276. S2CID   37122041.
  77. Matthew Cox (23 June 2007). "Troops in Iraq give thumbs up to Land Warrior". Army Times . Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  78. "Army's Future Force Warrior passes major milestone". www.army.mil. 8 September 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  79. Thomas, B.; Demczuk, V.; Piekarski, W.; Hepworth, D.; Gunther, B. (October 1998). "A wearable computer system with augmented reality to support terrestrial navigation". Digest of Papers. Second International Symposium on Wearable Computers (Cat. No.98EX215). pp. 168–171. doi:10.1109/ISWC.1998.729549. ISBN   978-0-8186-9074-7. S2CID   7845475.