Olli Markkanen: wearable builder + blogger

Aug 06

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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.”

What is a wearable computer?

Aug 01

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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).

11th International Symposium on Wearable Computers

Oct 08

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Andy’s Wearable Computing Resource – The 11th International Symposium on Wearable Computers (ISWC07) is being held October 11-13 at the Hyatt Harborside in Boston, MA, USA. The Plenary keynote is “Wearable Robotics” by Stephen Jacobsen (pictured), President and CEO of Sarcos. The preliminary program includes sessions on a variey of topics including “Gesture Recognition and Interfaces”, “Activity and Context Recognition” and “Input, Navigation, and Augmented Reality”. Tutorials and workshops address areas such as “Introduction to Designing Mobile Applications with On-body Sensing: Why desktop emulators will let you down”, “The Role of Design in Wearable Computing” and “Designing Wearable Systems for Mainstream Acceptance”.