Aug 01
A wearable computer is a very personal computer. It should be worn like a piece of clothing, as unobtrusive as possible. A user should interact with the computer based upon context. It could be a communications device (immediate or store and forward), a recorder (visual, audio, other sensors) or a reference device (local or remote resources).
Aug 19
CuteCircut – The M-Dress is an elegant silk jersey dress that is also a functional soft electronics mobile phone. The M-Dress accepts a standard SIM card and allows the wearer to receive and make calls without carrying a cellular phone in their pocket or purse. Simplicity is elegance.
[...] To allow women to stay connected while remaining stylish, CuteCircuit designed the M- Dress. A mobile phone in its own right but built out of soft circuitry. The wearer inserts their usual SIM card in the small slot underneath the label and the dress is ready to be used, having the same phone number as your usual phone. When the dress rings, the simple gesture of bringing your hand to the ear will allow the sensor to open the call and when done talking the gesture of releasing the hand downwards will close the call.
Aug 06
editorial, people, research No Comments
Wearable Computing Notebook – Olli Markkanen has been blogging about wearable computing and his own system, under development, on linux.com. His wearable rig is comprised of a BeagleBoard computer, Myvu Crystal display and Spiffchorder handheld input device. Olli says he is “a huge fan of wearable computing” but deplores the state of affairs in that he could find no real, dedicated group to join and that most literature on the topic is aging.
Olli shares his philosophy for wearables. In one of his posts he says:
“A wearable computer should be always usable, always on, always ready to take and process commands. It is not acceptable for display to block your vision like it would do when there is two displays. If I’d sell these things, I’d like my customers to stay alive and not get driven by a car they didn’t see. Really, a wearable computer is something you can use while moving. It frees you from the desk. It’s a lot more mobile than a laptop, and more usable than a smartphone, for so many reasons.”
Aug 05
PC World – Personal navigation systems are about to get a lot more personal. Japanese engineers have created a prototype device that places GPS navigation technology into a pair of wearable, seemingly everyday, glasses.
The glasses, known as the ‘Wearable Personal Navigation System’, house a battery, a microcomputer, a magnetic directional sensor and a number of LED lights [...] postioned in a circular fashion around the frame. The LEDs, which are visible in a user’s peripheral field of vision, will then change their color and placement in order to show which direction you should be walking.
Jul 31
gadget, people, research No Comments
Geeky Gadgets – Martin Magnusson, a self-professed “researcher and entrepreneur” sought to literally expand his horizons with the help of some tech lying around his house. The result: A wearable computer.
For portability, Magnusson is using a single Beagleboard computer packed inside a CD case where it shares space with a USB hub and an independent power supply—four 2700 mAh AA batteries. He is able to view his daily ‘to-do list’ thru an attractive pair of Myvu glasses that house a tiny video screen.
For additional input and all-important email, Magnusson uses a Nokia keyboard. Internet access is via Bluetooth attached to an iPhone in his pocket.
Jul 21
PopSci - Any sentimentalist knows why we carry cameras: to capture memories. And a memory captured is one you don’t need to remember yourself. That’s more or less the idea behind the new Vicon Revue. The device, which is based on a Microsoft Research project, is a three-ounce camera that automatically snaps away all day long, remembering events so you don’t have to. [Popular Science] took it out for a test drive.
Worn around your neck, the camera takes the pictures as you move around and enter new environments with their different levels of light, temperatures or even wind speeds. It has built-in sensors, including an infrared eye and an accelerometer, to register these changes and tell it to shoot at a rapid-fire speed of one picture per second until conditions settle
May 13
ipodnn – Future Apple handhelds [or wearable devices] could potentially offer feedback when touched, a Toshiba technology demonstration hints. At this week’s Embedded Systems Expo in Tokyo, the company is showing off an iPod touch with a special film on top. Based on a Finnish technology known as “Senseg E-Sense,” the film helps to generate small electrical field changes that can nevertheless be felt by human fingers. Resistance can be simulated when sliding open a door, for instance, and buttons can be made to feel as if they protrude.
Toshiba is presenting an even more elaborate concept via a PC trackpad, likewise enhanced with E-Sense. Using it to move an onscreen cursor over images produces the sense of different textures, such as rough or bristly surfaces. The company argues that the film is a better option than haptic (vibration) feedback, as it is less prone to breaking, and can be adapted to curved devices.
Apr 27
cnet – crave — Codenamed Cobra, that future has yet to come. But the guys at Queen’s University in Ontario are working at it. Human Media Lab’s Zi Ye and Hammad Khalid have developed a wearable computer and projector that works in tandem with a flexible screen fitted with flex-sensing wires and sensors.
To play, the mounted system projects the game onto the screen, which users can flex, tap or shake to activate an action. For instance, bending a corner back and releasing it could simulate shooting an arrow or even casting a fishing line.
Apr 19
display, gadget, input No Comments
Wearable Computing — Christian over at Tailor Made Toys has created a way-cool Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Augmented Reality Headset. The headset is composed of Eye-Trek goggles with the addition of a USB laptop webcam. On his blog, Christian says:
“First thing I should probably say here is that I built this without even thinking what its function would be. I just thought it would be cool to add a cam to the front of my Eye-Trek goggles. As it turned out these where ideal for use with augmented reality applications. I am also working on putting them to use for other software. Such as gps overlays and night vision (like being the terminator, but more scrawny).” [...] “Other idea is to have it on all day and log on to chat roulette, give them that “being john malcovich” feeling.”
Apr 16
gizmag – Hands-free calling using Bluetooth earpieces has become – shall we say – controversial over the years, as we’ve all seen that annoying guy at Starbucks trying to close the deal as he orders his cappuccino. But the latest receiver from Tokyo Flash, the Kisai Escape C, might just have enough features to offset the Bluetooth [geek] factor.
As with most receivers, yes, you can pair the Escape C with your mobile phone to make and receive calls hands free. But the earpiece looks much like a normal earbud, so if you decide to take your phone conversation public the only giveaway is your voice. The microphone is integrated into the Escape C which can be worn around the neck like a necklace.
By pairing the device with your mp3 player you can also get your favorite music in stereo sound. The Escape C also has control buttons on its body that you can use to skip ahead or adjust volume if necessary.
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