In recent years, remarkable advances in miniaturization and
processing power have brought computing to the desktop, laptop
and most recently to the palm of the hand. Yet, while today's
PCs and mobile devices are light years ahead of their counterparts
from only a few years ago, they're still not entirely convenient.
Individuals on the go and workers coping with challenging environments
need their hands and legs free to go about their tasks.
That’s where wearable computers enter the picture. They
promise to further morph the concept of man (or woman) and
machine by putting computers on our bodies and in our clothes.
Already, these devices are making waves in an array of industries,
including aerospace, automobile manufacturing, hospitality
and the military. What’s more, over the next few years,
consumers are likely to use wearable computers in cars, airplanes
and while walking down the street. According to Natick, Massachusetts-based
technology market research firm VDC, global shipments of wearable
computers will grow from over $100 million in 2002 to over
$563 million in 2006 .
Driving this growth, says VDC, is the expanding use of wearable
computers in vertical markets and applications in which tangible
ROI, cost savings, and improved customer satisfaction are the
direct result of “hands free” computing and real-time
access to information. VDC found that there is strong future
demand for wearable computers providing various functional
performance capabilities, including PC functionality, data-collection,
PDA and Internet functionality, and bio-monitoring.
Out of the Office and Into the Field
According to George Tatomyr, Principal Solutions Program Executive
at IBM’s Systems Solutions Practice, a wearable computer
is any “full-functioned desktop emulation in a small
form factor that’s carried on the body.” He notes
that technology has advanced so quickly in the areas of computing
and communications that it’s now possible to wear what
used to be a full-fledged desktop PC. Today, many of these
devices handle wireless voice and data, and replace an array
of equipment—laptops, PDAs, cell phones, GPS systems—with
a single way to access and share information and files 24x7.
Among those already using wearable computers: telephone repair
technicians who need their hands free while they climb poles;
workers in chemical and nuclear power factories; security personnel;
check-in and customer service reps at hotels; biologists and
wildlife specialists working in remote areas; and broadcast
journalists who must report from the field. Companies using
wearable computers include Northwest Airlines, Ford Motor,
GE Engine Services, FedEx, Bell Canada, and the U.S. Department
of Defense.
Fairfax, Virginia-based Xybernaut, a leading producer of wearable
computers and an IBM partner, offers a system that consists
of a one pound-plus central processing unit (CPU) that's worn
on the belt or a vest, a head mounted display with integrated
microphone and earphones, a wrist-worn keyboard and speech
recognition that can process commands. The device, which weighs
in at 3 to 4 pounds, uses a conventional Intel Pentium Processor
and the Windows operating system. It's also possible to equip
the computer with various sensors and devices, including a
camera, GPS unit or cellular phone.
Another producer, Burnsville, Minnesota-based ViA, offers
systems that support pen based input and speech recognition.
It has developed a wearable PC for firefighters, which includes
a low-light Web camera, a system that can track the whereabouts
of firefighters, and IP communications for wireless voice and
videoconferencing. The entire system is embedded into a standard
protection suit . Meanwhile, BodyMedia, a spin-off from Carnegie
Mellon University, has developed an array of monitors and sensors
that track eating and sleeping patterns, as well as physical
activities. The devices are valuable to researchers and health
care professionals looking to track patient behavior accurately
.
Not surprisingly, this is only the beginning. The emergence
of “smart fabrics” or interactive textile wearable
products will lead to new types of wearable computers by 2006,
according to VDC. These shirts, jackets and more will include
sensors and feedback devices, thus allowing the military, medical
personnel, public safety specialists, and those engaged in
sports or outdoor activities to gauge the environment around
them using bio-monitoring tools.
In fact, MIT Media Lab envisions systems fully embedded in
clothing that will sense the environment—using pattern
recognition, motion and location sensors, body sensors, and
speech analysis—to provide a sophisticated mobile environment.
Such a system might offer firefighters detailed information
about hotspots and how best to battle a blaze while providing
the military data about how to negotiate a battlefield.
Wearing It Well
Although wearable computing might still seem somewhere between
Star Trek and the Jetsons, it’s now beginning to
filter into the mainstream. Already, mobile phones use
speech recognition and tiny ear buds to provide basic computing
and communications functions, and PDAs with wireless connectivity
and speech recognition are becoming more common. These
capabilities will continue to evolve. In the future, an
air traveler might type documents or tap out e-mail messages
without having to set a notebook computer on the tray table.
A homeowner might use special glasses or a heads up display
to view assembly instructions or watch a video about how
to put together a new barbecue grill or build a deck.
For now, the challenge for researchers and manufacturers
is to further miniaturize equipment and create systems that
are streamlined, ergonomic and easy to use. One of the biggest
obstacles is ensuring that a person isn't overloaded with
information and the system doesn't prove distracting or dangerous.
That requires a sophisticated but simple interface. Another
challenge is developing batteries that are lighter and longer
lasting, or solar cells that can keep the system powered
on for more than a few hours.
Meanwhile, research on wearable computers continues…and
actual units are increasingly finding their way into the
workplace and the home. Just as the pager, cell phone and
PDA have become an important part of our lives, so will devices
that allow us to compute and communicate on the go.
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