Aug 06
editorial, people, research
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.”
Jul 31
gadget, people, research
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.
Apr 27
game, research
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.
Mar 05
research
MIT news — MIT officially opened the Media Lab Complex, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki and Associates in association with Leers Weinzapfel Associates. The building marks a new era of innovation for the world-renowned Media Lab and for a range of art, design, and technology-related programs in the School of Architecture + Planning, of which the Media Lab is a part.
Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the MIT Media Lab has long been at the vanguard of new technology. Many of the Lab’s inventions — such as electronic ink, wearable computers, and early platforms for social networking — helped ignite the digital revolution. More recently, the Lab has expanded its focus into “human adaptability,” with research projects involving affective computing, 6-D imaging and the future of the automobile.
Feb 09
research
EE Times — A project that aims to revolutionise the design of technologies for supporting research has been awarded a grant of about $2.6 million by the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Arts and Humanities Research Council through the RCUK Digital Economy programme.
The multidisciplinary project, entitled PATINA (Personal Architectonics of Interfaces to Artefacts) will be led by the University of Bristol in collaboration with the Universities of Brighton, Greenwich, Newcastle, Southampton and Swansea. The project includes involvement from Microsoft Research, Nokia Research and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The consortium will build wearable technologies that can identify objects such as books or historical artefacts and use miniature projectors to enhance those objects with related digital information taken from the web.
Nov 30
news, research
ZD Net – The European Union has funded an ambitious project related to wearable technology. This project, named WearIT@work will end in one year and was funded with 14.3 million euros of EU money, even if the total project cost is expected to exceed 23 million euros. For mobile workers, the goal is to replace traditional interfaces, such as screen, keyboard or computer unit, by speech control or gesture control, without modifying the applications. This wearable system is currently being tested in four different fields including aircraft maintenance, emergency response, car production and healthcare.
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