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Transcript of Digit FT to Wearables Issue 11 Vol 10 November 2015
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VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 11
YOUR HANDY GUIDE TO EVERYDAY TECHNOLOGY
A 9.9 Media Publication
WEARABLES
Free W
ith D
igit Nove
mb
er 2015
NO
VE
MB
ER
2015
11
To
A BRAVE NEW WORLD THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES INTERACTION REDEFINED THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES LETS TALK DEVICES GETTING HANDS ON WITH WEARABLES WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
WEARABLES
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WEARABLES
FASTTRACK
to
p o w e r e d b y
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CHAPTERS
EDITORIAL
Executive Editor Robert Sovereign-Smith
Managing Editor Siddharth Parwatay
Technical Editor Jayesh Shinde
WritersAnshumala Balu Ashish Panigrahi
Dhinoj Dings Elroy Desmond Nikhil Punjabi
Copy EditingInfancia Cardozo
DESIGNCreative Director Tharakaram G
Sr. Art Director Anil VK
Associate Art Director Anil T
Sr. Visualisers Shigil Narayanan Sristi Maurya
VisualiserBaiju NV
Sr. DesignerPradeep G Nair
CREDITS
The
peo
ple
behi
nd t
his
book
A brave new worldTechnology gadgets are entering an exciting evolutionary curve
The evolution of wearablesIn the last chapter we gave you a small glimpse into the history of
wearable technology. Heres the whole story.
Interaction redefinedThe growth of wearables presents some very interesting
opportunities to design new interfaces. Heres how youll talk to
your wearables.
The war of the wearablesAnalysing the current trend in wearables leads us to some unique
revelations like their role in the enterprise space
WEARABLES NOVEMBER 2015
06PAGE
18PAGE
32PAGE
44PAGE
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3CONTENTS
9.9 Mediaworx Pvt. Ltd.Published by 9.9 MediaworxNo part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.
November 2015Free with Digit. If you have paid to buy this Fast Track from any source other than 9.9 Mediaworx Pvt. Ltd., please write [email protected] with details
Custom publishingIf you want us to create a customised Fast Track for you in order to demystify technology for your community, employees or students contact [email protected]
WEARABLES NOVEMBER 2015
72PAGE
54PAGE
Lets talk devicesBy showcasing the multitude of devices out there, well help you
select the right wearable for you
Getting hands on with wearablesCreating apps for wearables is much easier than you think.
What does the future hold?When we look at the future, we see the human-machine divide
disappearing. Will wearables be the catalyst in the dawn of that
future?
80PAGE
VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 11
YOUR HANDY GUIDE TO EVERYDAY TECHNOLOGY
A 9.9 Media Publication
WEARABLES
Free W
ith D
igit Nove
mb
er 2015
NO
VE
MB
ER
2015
11
To
A BRAVE NEW WORLD THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES INTERACTION REDEFINED THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES LETS TALK DEVICES GETTING HANDS ON WITH WEARABLES WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
WEARABLES
CO
VE
R D
ES
IGN
: AN
IL T
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4 INTRODUCTION
Truly personal tech
Wearable technology has a lot of people talking. And
rightly so. We seem to be looking at the dawn of a new
era in tech that may reshape our lifestyles for the better.
From glasses that provide detailed contextual informa-
tion about our surroundings to accessories that collect data on our daily
actions and habits, the potential of wearable devices is limited only by
our imagination.
In this Fast Track, we take a broad look at wearable technology and how
it has evolved over the years into formidable category of its own. We will
delve into the history of wearables, from its humble beginnings as calcu-
lator watches to the high-powered smartwatches and VR headset that look
to change the way we interact with technology and the world around us.
Discover how Science Fiction ideas inspired engineers to develop
innovative UIs for humans to better interact with not just wearables but
technology on a whole. We discover how the smartwatches and fitness
bands grew in popularity and how a slew of companies decided that this
market was a ripe one in which entrepreneurs should invest. We also take
a look at recent trends in the wearable market and analyze the potential
for wearables as daily driver devices.
We also discuss the applications of these devices and whether they are
suited for todays average consumer. This is followed by a small chapter
that explains the challenges faced by developers of wearable tech and
potential fixes for them.
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5INTRODUCTION
Finally, we discuss the what sort of future we have in store for us,
should this current trend of wearable technology see itself over the hump
of popularity it seems to be enjoying. Is it possible that this technology
becomes so ingrained in our daily lives, that we no longer look at wearables
devices as cumbersome electronics but instead see them as just an exten-
sion of our skin? We may have as well taken our first steps into becoming
real-world cyborgs.
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6 CHAPTER #01
Wearable- An item that can be worn.
Wearable Technology- Electronics that can be worn on the body
The terms wearable technology, wearable devices, and weara-
bles refer to electronics; gadgets or computers that are integrated
into clothing or accessories that can comfortably be worn on the
body. These wearable machines can perform some of the same
computing tasks as mobile phones and laptop computers and in some cases,
wearable technology can surprisingly surpass these devices entirely. Wear-
able technology, these days, tends to be more sophisticated than hand-held
technology on the market as it can provide atypical sensory and scanning
features that are not seen in mobile or laptops, like biofeedback and the
tracking of such things as physiological function. Not to mention how
they come in handy, pocketable sizes. One of the major features of wear-
able technology is its ability to connect to the Internet, enabling data to be
exchanged between a network and the device.
Much has changed since Atanasoff and Berry invented the first computer,
the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer. Modern computers have
become smaller, more efficient, and more powerful while simultaneously
occupying much less space than ever before. Before ogling at the magnifi-
cent(?) Google Glass and looking forward to the future of wearable tech, let
Gadget evolution is truly exciting now
A BRAVE NEW WORLD
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7A BRAVE NEW WORLD
us take a moment to look back at what it these geeky wearable devices that
our current generation is enjoying actually means for us.
We might be thinking James Bond or Minority Report, but the reality
is that weve been wearing technology for thousands of years- Armor,
Eyeglasses, and prosthetics are all examples of wearable tech. They are
extremely useful and everything, but theyre also steeped social symbolism.
They help us curate our identities offline by allowing us to establish our
normalcy and sense of community. For example, by putting on armor we
used to claim membership with a group and broadcast that to the general
public. We strengthen the ties of the group and enhance its overall fitness
through wearable technologies.
Wearable technology is usually thought of by the layman as dating back
before the 1900s but If we really want to get particular with it, in 1650,
Chinas Qing Dynasty invented the Abacus Ring, a miniscule example in
the history of wearable tech. the ring is a calculator that features a 1.2cm
long, 0.7cm wide abacus that sits on the finger. While the abacus ring may
not be able to make phone calls, it goes to show that wearable technology
might not be as radical a concept as one would think.
The Abacus Ring of yore
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8 A BRAVE NEW WORLD
The first wearable watch, on the other hand, was worn in the 1500s as
is evident from records of Queen Elizabeth had a wristwatch in 1571.
But in the technical sense of the term wearable technology, glasses were
the first real wearables. Modern eyeglasses came about after 11th-century
scholars happen to come upon the fact that the written word could be mag-
nified by convex lenses. Those early observations led to affixing pieces of
shaped, polished glass, namely lenses into two small frames so that someone
with vision problems could have a chance to enhance or correct their sight.
The handheld, temple-less design persisted until around the 1700s and
eventually this initial design was discarded for the modern eyeglasses, the
achievement of technology, that we cannot live without today.
The latest trends in technology lean toward gadgets that are built to
augment and make our lives better. From the introduction of the Google
Glass in 2012, to the buildup surrounding the Apple Watch; sleek, featureful
devices that you can wear on your head (like a pair of glasses) or strap onto
your wrist have become all the rage in tech jewellery.
Even more exhilarating are second-skin devices such as those that one
can embed into the body, ingest and hear using. These may include new
technologies that blend
into the skin, devices that are controlled using eyeball-motion sensors
and ear wearables that measure and even respond to our heart rate and who
knows what not. All of these contribute as a parts of the continuing journey
to create technology that is so intertwined with our lives that it becomes
almost imperceptible. The end results of this transition are bound to be
better usability and genuinely groundbreaking technology.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of WearablesWith wearable technology, say hello to a time in which learning more about
yourself has become high-tech along with being real-time. From gadgets
and apps that help you track your heart and food consumption to devices
that are capable of monitoring your mood and even the surrounding air.
Now, the human body quantified, is a reality for the everyday person. We
can look forward to the time in the near future where we can learn about our
own health using our own self-tracking gadgets. Lets go as far as to imagine
using these very devices to quantify if our self-improvement endeavours
are actually paying off, all in real time.
One of the most critical elements of the adoption of new technology in
question is getting the users and consumers at hand to change their habits.
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A BRAVE NEW WORLD 9A BRAVE NEW WORLD
Wearables present an interesting situation where the goal is to some drastic
enhancement in life experience for the consumer with as little behavioral
changes as possible.
How can I get more accomplished and also live a better, more satisfied
life style? is the question that is on the rounds and wearable technology
has been changing peoples lives for many decades, some people we may
know and simply havent realize it, like anyone who works in security
management, is hearing impaired or someone who wears a prosthetic (a
limb for example). In that way, the setting up of a wearable market where
we can buy enhancing machines and gadgets in a way identical to how
we buy mobile phones or clothing accessories, changes the criterion for
the personal aspect of computing and our living experiences in some
thrilling ways.
All of these possibilities will be facilitated by the Internet of things (IoT),
providing rich and invaluable connections among people, process, data,
and things. And this is just the beginning. As new technology continues
to seem to be smaller, cheaper, and more powerful than ever before, and as
the amount of interconnected devices on the planet grows in the upcoming
The age of the wearables is upon us and its an exciting time ahead for the evolution of tech-nology gadgets as we know it
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10 A BRAVE NEW WORLD
decades, the true scale of possibilities may actually reach further than what
we imagine today.
Lets not forget that wearables face unique hindrances that will lead
them to have less of an immediate impact on the market as compared to
tablets or smartphones.
Especially since most of the devices, at the moment, need to be connected
with a smartphone or tablet for the utilization most of their functionality.
Another salient issue comes up when we talk about wearables. Privacy
campaigners have criticised that aspect of the technology, bringing to light
that surreptitious sound recordings and even footage can be uploaded
onto the cloud, that ending up being distributed and shared without the
persons knowledge and/or consent. Along with obvious privacy issues
relating to the general public, personalized information about the user of
these gadgets gives rise to more data protection issues. For instance, it is
known that certain health and fitness gadgets have GPS location features
and have the ability to capture a large quantity of data over time about
the users location, activity and even health. This personal data may then
be uploaded to the cloud and analysed by their technology provider. Of
course, this is fine if the technology provider is transparent about how all
the information is being utilized, shared and distributed, if at all the wearer
has given his or her pre informed consent about what is being done with
their data, and if the technology provider has put into place adequate and
sufficient security measures to safeguard it. Whether this is carried out in
practice is another matter entirely.
The more personal we get with our gadgets, the more information and
data we are capturing about ourselves and the more privacy we expect in
the long run.Of course, there are always those tech wearables that we have mixed feel-
ings about. Like Microsoft filing a new patent to completely revolutionize
the way that wearable devices send out signals or notifications to wearers.
Dubbed as wearable computer having a skin-stimulating interface, the
patents abstract went ahead and named things such as alarms, phone calls
and texts as some examples that people would literally be shocked about
by the device.
The MarketplaceThe year 2014 was hailed by many experts in technology as the Year of the
Wearable, hence reflecting an explosion of new wearable products with
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A BRAVE NEW WORLD 11A BRAVE NEW WORLD
huge electronic businesses competing on a level with newborn, crowd-
funded startups and a noticeably quick growth in its market compared
to previous years. All kinds of businesses, military forces and especially
medical professionals have been always been using this technology for years,
but the private consumer market place has only just started to feature items
such as smart glasses, smartwatches, hearables, fitness and health trackers
and even smart jewellery. The global market for wearables is expected to at
least reach to a value of 19 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, to easily cross more
than ten times of its value five years prior.
As of 2015, the most successful wearables on the market are, and are likely
to continue to be, those worn around the wrist, such as health and fitness
trackers and of course, smartwatches, which are surprisingly expected to
account for 9 in 10 of these gadgets bought globally. The among the most
important producers of smart watches are Samsung, Pebble, Fitbit, Apple,
Sony, Lenovo and LG. Although, the most successful fitness trackers so far
were produced by the likes of Nike, Fitbit and Jawbone.
As the wearable business is set to increases from $20 billion in 2015
to almost $70 billion in 2025, the dominant sector will be likely to remain
healthcare by which we mean a merge of medical, fitness and wellness. It is
seen to have the most number of big names like Apple, Accenture, Adidas,
Fujitsu, Nike, Philips, Reebok, Samsung, SAP and Roche spearheading the
most promising new developments.
Wrist Wearables are most successful so far
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12 A BRAVE NEW WORLD
The Internet of ThingsOur traditional connection to the internet has undergone a radical change
over the last couple of decades. We have progressed from simple terminals
and desktop PCs to many different kinds of mobile devices such as laptops,
tablets and of course, mobile phones. These devices however, are connected
to us externally and are a sharp contrast to the wave of revolution that is
the advent of wearable technology. We will soon be equipped with a net-
work of wireless devices that possess the ability to communicate with no
interference from us humans. And so, gadgets including head mounted
displays and smartwatches are part of an array of technologies that will
revamp the way in which we communicate and share among ourselves
and the internet itself, ushering in The Internet of Things (IoT) becoming
a necessity rather than a luxury.
We can already track our exercise, monitor our heart rates and even
keep a track of the quality of our sleep. The wearables in question include
FItbit, Jawbone Up and the Nike Fuelband. These capabilities will grow in
the next few years, so much so that we can imagine a future in which well
be able to swallow a pill that can monitor our digestive function and send
intelligent and relevant information to doctors as the need arises and in the
context of what were doing at that point of time. Another example of the
uses of IoT would be a future in which expectant mothers will go around
wearing smart tattoos that lets them monitor the health and activity of the
babie(s) growing inside them and which are capable of alerting the doctor
early about the onset of labor.
As these wonderful devices get integrated into the large net that is The
Internet of Things, sharing of huge quantities of data generated by our
bodies, data related to the well being of physical and even mental state, our
mood, personal preferences and so on and so forth will become extremely
commonplace with health providers, retailers and businesses.
The question that now comes to mind is, how much longer do we have
to wait till we have this kind of connectivity in our homes? Imagine coming
home to your heart rate monitor unlocking the front door. Walk into your
living space to find a cool glass of water and the air conditioner already run-
ning at the optimum temperature, thanks to your smartband finding that
you were slightly dehydrated with a little higher body temperature than is
optimum. Even in retail, wearables and connectivity can be used for real
time data crunching to provide the best service while maximizing profits.
For example, Yelp provides a service which allows users to point their
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A BRAVE NEW WORLD 13A BRAVE NEW WORLD
phones in a direction in a particular locality and watch as their screen fills
up with options and locations of nearby restaurants along with user reviews.
Popular CategoriesHealth and FitnessMedical devices is a term that covers the variety of products that are gener-
ally worn on the body for a prolonged period of time and are able to capture
information about the patients physiological condition and then process
or calculate the correct medical procedure to be followed before obviously
notifying the patient.
The devices currently under development include vital sign monitors like
for the heart rate and respiratory rate. Apart from having a lot of medical
significance, these devices are also seen as having increasing roles in the
training and upkeep of athletes and general fitness enthusiasts.
As mentioned previously, developments in wearable medical devices
are also expected to enable remote monitoring, such that a patient does not
have to resort to reporting to the doctor in person or vice versa, they can be
monitored by the clinic while remaining comfortably at home while even
constantly reminding them to take their medication.
On the other hand, the most common fitness device connect to smart-
phones, tablets or laptops to track the users health status including such data
as BMI, blood alcohol level, heart rate and may even include a posture coach.
Another significant use of vital data tracking could be attachment of
small sensors in the body to follow the patients health records such as
ECG data, heart activity and breathing, allowing doctors to monitor their
patients without actually being present, all the need to do is regularly access
the information on their specialized cloud based portal.
A variation of sensors could be the ingestible kind which have the added
utility of being a quick, easy and cost effective way to provide real time data
of the efficacy of drugs and medication in the body.
Wrist WearablesA large chunk of health and fitness wearables are wrist wearables. Fitness
bands and other wearables have clearly been embraced enthusiastically
by the the current market that caters the the more health conscious, tech
savvy consumer. The commercial viability of the wearables like the Nike
Fuelband and the Fitbit is what experts would call the tip of the iceberg.
Fitness trackers come in varying degrees of sophistication apart from
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14 A BRAVE NEW WORLD
varying in terms of shape and size themselves, but so far have usually been
bands and watches whos most common feature is make a count of how
many steps we take in a certain amount of time. The newest bands have the
additional features of continuous heart rate monitoring and calorific burn.
Smartwatches are mini-windows into your digital life at the turn of your
wrist. Apart from being able to tell the time, they can also show the user
their emails, messages and other aspects of their digital social life.
Head Mounted DisplaysHow does one deliver virtual information right to our eyes? Head mounted
displays are what well need. Some of them are designed to block out periph-
eral vision, i.e. the rest of the world. A computer generated virtual reality
could literally fool our brain into thinking its somewhere else entirely.
Oculus Rift is the big name in virtual reality although both Sony, with
its Project Morpheus, and HTCs Vive are causing much excitement.
Google Glass was released in 2013, the first product to combine voice
operation with a head mounted display. It also has hands free internet
Wearable techs fitness benefits are most popular among consumer
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A BRAVE NEW WORLD 15A BRAVE NEW WORLD
access and the ability to capture images. Although it was discontinued this
year but it deserves credit for bringing wearables into the general public
attention as opposed to just in specialized tech conferences.
In the meantime, Microsofts HoloLens is perhaps one of the most inter-
esting AR device. It has generated a lot of hype for Microsoft and company
CEO Satya Nadella has strongly backed the companys investment in the
technology. In May, Nadella told The New York Times that HoloLens was
one of the reasons Microsoft bought Mojang, the parent company of the hit
virtual world-building game Minecraft, for $2.5 billion.
Microsoft seems to be looking to fund projects that use HoloLens as a
business analytics tool, making large amounts of data easier to analyze and
use. Its also interested in research teams that can create useful applications
for medical training, design education, interactive journalism, psychology
applications, and workplace communication.
Smart ClothingSmart clothing is a broad term used for garments with electronic in a way
that would make them more interesting or fashionable. They would also
have additional functionality although the garment would appear essen-
tially the same.
WIll Head Mounted Displays really take off?
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16 A BRAVE NEW WORLD
ImplantablesImplantables are devices that are surgically attached someplace under
your skin. They are a type of wearable that one would have no choice but
to carry around everywhere. They can be used for medical purposes like
as insulin pumps, contraceptives or some of us just might enjoy sticking
magnets to our fingertips.
The idea might sound a little bit futuristic and maybe even far fetched,
but in reality, ingestible sensors and implantable chips are already in use
and even growing.
Wearable RoboticsHow does one person carry loads that takes two people to lift? Upto 68 Kgs
even. The answer is wearable robotics. Wearable robotics lets us augment
and compensate for our natural abilities.
In the past, wearing prosthetics or wearable robotics has been stigmatized
but that is no longer true. It isnt just athletes wanting to be superhuman
using these high tech technology, its also the average Joe with a sense of
style and a preference among these new generation prosthetics. They are
stylish, sleek and designed for an all round high tech lifestyle.
Taking hearing as an example, a hearing aid is what would help a person
overcome a hearing deficiency. Wearing one in public would definitely mark
you somewhat unfairly as someone disabled.
Wearables will speed up the advent of Exoskeletons and even Prosthetics
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A BRAVE NEW WORLD 17A BRAVE NEW WORLD
Coming to the sense of sight on the other hand, Google Glass and Hololens
are at the forefront of new wearable technology capable of augmenting sight
but we would never think of these as being a form of prosthetic.
These wearables are also being used in rehab centers to help people
who need to recover from stroke or surgery. Initially, the development of
wearable robotics focused mainly on military and medical applications.
Is the wearable tech industry really the next big revolution, and all set
to boom in mainstream popularity, rather than fade away into tech-fad
obscurity? We certainly think so.
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18 CHAPTER #02
THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
From viewing computers as devices exclusively meant for high-
intensity computations to holding such computing powers in the
palm of your hand, the attitude towards computing devices has
changed in the past six decades or so. So much so that its common
enough these days to have devices with immense computational powers to
be worn as part of body attire-sometimes displacing ornaments and at other
times, complementing them. But wearables have a back story which goes
far back into the past-to centuries before Alan Turing conceived his Turing
machine which more or less laid the foundation for modern computers.
The story, when told in the narrative arc of wearables evolution is as
amusing as it is enlightening. Shedding light on not just the dominance
of human ingenuity down the ages but also the almost organic manner in
which one thing leads to the next, even when the next step in question is
highly removed from anything organic.
The first ever truly wearable tech product that man produced was the
humble eyeglasses. Though the identity of the inventor remains unknown,
In the last chapter we gave you a small glimpse into the history of wearable technology. Heres the whole story.
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19THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
its widely believed that the
invention was made the 13th
century in Venice. The earliest
users of the device were prob-
ably Christian monks since
during the period clergymen
and monks were the literate
class while lower classes
were limited to farming
activities and were generally
unlearned.
Glass blowing was an art
the Venetians were excelling during the time and reading glasses were a
result of the ingenious skills of the glass blowers who applied their acumen
to produce reading stones using solid glass. The evolution from these hand-
held single lens to the reading glasses set into bone or metal and balanced
on a monks nosebridge didnt take long. And in a painting by Tomasso
da Modena that the artist created in 1352, we have the very first artistic
representation of a pair of eyeglasses.
Time-keeping was an idea that was to revolutionise the way in which
humans engaged in wealth creating activities. The ability to mark time with
a high level of precision not only told employees when it was time to leave
work but also enabled employers to keep track of the amount of work done
The first time the world saw wearables was with a device of sight.
A time-keeping device ahead of its time
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20 THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
by an employee in a given unit of time. This scenario meant that during the
early years after time keeping was introduced, devices to accurately mark
time became important.
Of these, the Nuremberg Egg was one that the owner could wear around
the neck. A predecessor of the pocket watch that was to become popular
in the later centuries, the Nuremberg Egg was in vogue during the early
16th century. The users were particularly impressed by the fact that these
devices made use of clockwork rather than weights like the preceding
moidels of time-keeping units.
The invention of the device is credited to German clockmaker, Peter
Heinlin.
The Abacus Ring- the calculating wearable machine of the 17th centurySome people consider it the first ever wearable computer. Others see it
as a novelty item introduced in humanitys past. Whatever be the case,
there exists no doubt that the Abacus Ring-invented in China during the
16th century, was a major
evolutinary point in the
history of wearables.
The ring which was
developed during the
early years of the Qing
Dynasty(1644 to 1911)
was 1.2 cm long and 0.7 cm
wide and could be worn on
a finger.
Having seven rods with
seven beads each, the ring
was mostly used by Chi-
nese ladies who used hairpins to move the bead since the manuever was
impossible to make using a finger, owing to the diminutive size of the beads.
The users could make quick calculations using the Chinese abacus which
had a value of 10 or a multiple or sub multiple of the number ascribed to
each bead. For instance, all beads on a single rod could have the value of 1.
If thats the case and you have to represent, say the number 155, you should
separate five beads on a rod from the rest of them on the tens wire and also
separate a bead on the hundreds wire. The traditional Chinese abacus had
Calculating with fingers, taken to another level
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THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES 21THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
10 rods, so the abacus ring was
a variation of sorts.
The Victorian ingenuity of the air conditioned top hat in the 1800sThe Victorian era is generally
associated with vanity. His-
torians may or may not agree
with that view. However, if you
go by the fact that they came up
with an airconditioned top hat
to mimimize the sweat on the
scalp of many a high-browed
gentleman, you would side
with the vanity-view. The
invention remained in fashion
for just the briefest of times.
Electric Girl Lighting Company introducing dresses fitted with bulbs and batteries to light up houses in the 1890sThe company in question was started in 1884 in America when the con-
cept of electricity was, well..electrifying the entire nation. The correlation
between the human body and electricity was taken from its conceptual
cradle to materialistic reality by the company which aimed to give dresses
that were fitted with batteries and bulbs that can be worn by women. This
would help light up the home. In other words, a wife being the light of the
house was an idea that the company took to heart. As shown by subsequent
history, the people of America, or the rest of the world didnt find this an
electrifying idea.
The pigeon camera in 1907Pigeons may be the emissaries of love as far as Bollywood is concerned
but the German photographer, Julius Neubronner had a different idea.
Neubronner-who lived more than a century ago used to be an apthecary
whose job entailed the use of carrier pigeons to deliver medications to
clients. However, when one of his pigeons returned four weeks later than
expected, Neubronner hit upon the idea of mounting a lightweight camera
Some gentlemen apparently didnt think much of the sweat of your brow idea
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22 THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
on the pigeons body so that he could observe what goes on in other parts
of the land.
The camera in question was usually made using wood and weighed
anywhere from 30 to 75 grams. Pigeons were given special training to
carry the load and they would fly at a height averaging 160 to 330 feet.
The cameras time delay mechanism was made possible by the pneumatic
system attached to it.
The Roulette shoe in 1961One of the wackiest inventions ever made by mathematicians, the Roulette
shoe was essentially a a miniature computer that fitted inside a shoe. Its
purpose, as you may have guessed was to help the wearer win at a a game
of roulette. The device was invented by Edward O. Thorpe- a Mathematic
professor along with Prof. Claude Shannon- who is considered as the father
of information theory.
The idea was something which Thorp had been carrying around in his
head ever since he was young. However, it was only when he met Shannon in
his adult life that the plan came to fruition. The acquaintance with Shannon
not only gave Thorp the benefit of a highly scientific mind to help him but
also gave him access to the IBM 704- a machine which at the time was the
cutting-edge of technology.
Natural drones?
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THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES 23THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
The wearer of the device would have wires running down the length of
his body, concealed under his clothes, leading down to the leg where they
find their housing in the shoes where they are attached to switches. An
earpiece was also part of the contraption which would convey messages as
musical tomes- one each for the octants of the roulette wheel. Simple tap-
ping of the foot were used to give inputs to the computer. The duo, even
though they covertly tested the device in Las Vegas casinos, never used it
for the purpose of gambling.
The Pulsar calculator watch in 1975These days, the Pulsar calculator
watch has a firm place in the list
of vintage devices. But when
it came out in 1975, the device
was considered as an ingenious
piece of technology. The first
ever wristwatch calculator, the
watch was introduced just before
Christmas of that year. The first
100 pieces were Limited edi-
Now, thats tapping to a winning rhythm!
One watch to calculate them all!
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24 THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
tion and was made in 18 kt gold and the price was a whopping $3,950.
However, people really did like the idea as all of them sold out and the
company followed it by introducing the stainless steel version for $550.
With red LED display of up to 6 digits, and the ability to perform calcu-
lations up to 12 digits, this one created quite a stir when it was introduced
for the first time in America.
Sony Walkman in 1979Not even the Apples iconic
iPod has been able to bloat the
memory of the Sony Walkman.
At least, not among those who
have had a great time grooving
to music during the 80s and
90s, thanks to this extremely
portable music device. The fact
that a highly vibrant youth cul-
ture- features of which included
sexual exploration and individu-
alism, existed in America when it was introduced helped make Sonys device
all the rage. Following their success with audio casette players, Sony made
the product innovation which enabled users to carry their music anywhere
they went. As for the quality of the cassette tape frequently getting tangled,
thats another story altogether
Seiko UC 2000 Wrist PC in 1981One of the earliest attempts at
creating a wearable computer,
Seikos Wrist PC looks like
small fish judging by present
day standards. 2K was all the
volume of date that you can feed
to the PC which would per-
form funtions like telling the
time or calculating sums for
you. Ambitious as the invention
was, it didnt go down well with
the audience- probably because
Move to the music while on the move
A wristy, geeky affair
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THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES 25THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
of the fact that computers were still mostly used by organizations rather
than individuals. It was not until three years later when Apple intro-
duced theMacintosh in 1984 that the PC became a device of choice in
households. Maybe, if Seiko had waited that long, it would have been a
different story altogether.
Nelsonic Space Attacker Watch in 1984Inroduced in 1984, the Nelsonic Space attacker watch coupled as a time-
telling device as also a game playing unit. A collectible item for game enthu-
siats thsee days, the watch had a pretty large display that would display the
time along with information regarding the day, time, month, am/pm and the
alarm status all in one go. With a
simple push of a button, you can
change the display into a minia-
ture game monitor- albeit the fact
that you could play just one game
in it- Space Attacker. The game
could be played using just two
front buttons in the watch- the
left button to move your turret
and the one on the right to shoot
at the attackers from outer-space.
The catch was that if the attackers
had you the first three times
around, the earth is lost!
The fact that arcade games
were steadily gaining in popularity during the time in the U.S as well as
the widespread use of wristwataches- unlike the present day when we are
content with the time-telling abilities of our mobile phones meant that these
watches found their share of savvy users.
The head mounted screen- Private Eye in 1989It seems that every contemporary piece of wearable technology has a prede-
cessor. The Private Eye introduced by Reflection Technology was a prelude
to Google Glass. By scanning a vertical array of LEDs along a visual field
with a vibrating mirror, the head-mounted display would feed you visuals
the kind of which the world had never seen before. The diplay was 15- inch
long and was mounted at a distance of 18 inches.
Any time is good for a fight!
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26 THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
A rather daring invention for its time, the invention probably had for
its inspiration the portable devices such as the Sony Walkman which had
already become an icon by then. The fact that television and movies had a
potentially wider audience than music might have been an influence too.
The sneaker phone in the 1990sLooking like something that was born in the imagination of Ian Fleming
when he was super-drunk, the sneaker phone made a splash during the
1990s in America. However, the
product didnt casue any wide-
spread ripples in the market,
possibly due to its clunky nature.
The fact that sneakers were THE
accessory of choice for the urban
young might have prompted
such an invention, though appar-
ently even the experimental fash-
ionistas of American cities found
this one way over the top.
Levis ICD+ jacket in 2000Levis- the brand thats single-handedly responsible for making the denim
the choice attire of the young was also the first to inculcate wearable tech
into their garment. The piece of
clothing in question is the Levis
ICD+ jacket which was intro-
duced in summer 2000. Meant
for young professionals, the
jacket was created in collabora-
tion with Philips and came in
four styles.
The basic idea was to have a
removable wired harness which
one could connect to portable
electronic devices- including
mobile phones and MP3 players. All the devices would be connected to a
central control module using which the wearer could easily switch between
devices. Appealing both aesthetically and on a utilitarian front, Levis jacket
Really, words fail
Cool looks with hot technology
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THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES 27THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
was testinmony to how much technology has literally become a part of
peoples lives by the turn of the millenium.
Bluetooth headset in 2002We all know how it is- people talking as if mumbling to themselves, all
thanks to the hands-free luxury that the Bluetoot headset affords them.
And it all began in year 2002 when Nokia devised the first ever Bluetooth
headset- the Nokia HDW-1. Initially conceived as a concept program,
the product was later accepted
as a product program. Unfor-
tunately though, the device-
which was based on Nokias
proprietary chipset, LPRF
was scrapped before going
for mass production. But that
doesnt take the sheen away
from it since it served as the
basis for more advanced prod-
ucts in the category.
Nike + in 2006What would happen when two of the worlds biggest companies came
together to create a product? If the companies in question are Nike and Apple,
then the answer is a cutting-edge
wearable device that takes your
athletic performance to whole
new heights- the Nike Plus. Intro-
duced in 2006, the product has
already gone through a few sig-
nificant evolutionary steps and is
a favourite among runners.
A transmitter that can be
embedded in a shoe transmits
information to the activity
tracker- a Sportband or an iPod/
iPhone to which the transmitter is linked. The runner could get the exact
stats regarding the distance covered and the pace etc. Apart from athletes,
health-conscious individuals also find this a useful device for obvious
Blue is the new cool
Just wear it
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28 THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
reason. What with a host of life-style induced ailments like obesity and
high levels of cholestrol making it inevitable for millions around the world
to exercise on a regular basis, Nikes introduction turned out to be timely
as well as innovative.
Fitbit classic in 2008The company, Fitbit Inc. which is headquartered in San Francisco took the
wearables route to challenge Nike by introducing the Fitbit classic. It was
the first in the line of products that measure such statistics as the number of
steps that one take while walking, the quality of sleep and also the number of
steps climbed aside from other personal metrics. Having a more expansive
list of features than the Nike Plus, added with the fact that it has appeal to
a broder audience than the athletically-conscious, Fitbit is rather popular
and could have significant influence on the wearables to come.
Google Glass in 2013Everyone saw the lines between science fiction and reality blur signifi-
cantly when Google came out with their unique product, Glass. The idea
behind the product that comes with a head mounted display was to create
a ubiquitous computer. Part high-end toy, part utility, the Google Glass is
already put to good use in fields as disparate as healthcare and journalism.
Undoubtedly a significant leap in the evolution of wearables, the product-
The bits and bytes of fitness
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THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES 29THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
coming from such a widely recognised company has also made wearables
a common concept among the ordinary men and women.
Solar powered jackets in 2014One of the major concerns that the world faces in the 21st century is the
depleting resources of the world. The clothing brand, Tommy Hilfiger
entered the wearables sector against this backdrop. Their product- solar
Wearing sunny side up?
No, honey, you arent hallucinating, thats how things look through GLASS
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30 THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
powered jackets for both men and women was introduced as a limited
edition offering in 2014.
The jacket allows the wearer to charge cell phoes etc. using power from the
solar cells embedded in the jacket. The mechanism makes use of a chord in
the lining of the jacket that is connected to the solar panels which are found
on the back of the garment. The chord connects the panels to a removable
battery pack thats found in the front right pocket. The solar panels were
made using flexible silicon technology. If exposed to full sunlight, the cells
would enable the charging of a 1500 mAh mobile device for up to four times.
The presence of two USB ports in the pack means one can plug in multiple
devices simultaneously.
Apple Watch in 2015As an unintentional nod to
one of the first wearables
ever the Nuremberg Egg
which helped keep time in
the 16th century Apple
came out with the Apple
Watch in 2015. But this
ones not just about telling the time. Not by a long shot.
Using the product, one can
make or take calls as well as
text and is integrated with iOS aside from other Apple products and services.
And thats just the beginning of it.
Oculus Rift, slotted for 2016The Oculus Rift is the latest in the series of wearables to enthrall the users.
Said to be the first really professional PC-based VR heasets the device is a
virtual reality head-mounted display devveloped by the company, Oculus
VR. Having a resolution of 1080 * 1200 per eye, the Rift comes with inte-
grated headphones that provide spatialised audio. It also has full 6 degrees
of freedom in rotational and positional tracking. The product has come a
long way since it was first proposed in a Kickstarter campaign and is one
of the most anticipated tech releases.
From the humble beginnings as eyewear for monks to a head-mounted
VR device which takes the concept of contrived reality to another level,
One watch. Any uses?
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THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES 31THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES
the story of wearables is exciting to say the least. And along its evolution,
there has been inventions that didnt quite hit the mark as also the ones
which delighted the users. Judging by the rapid pace of innovation which
the world is seeing these days, many more along the same lines will hit the
market in more frequency than ever before.
The shape of things to come
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32 CHAPTER #03
INTERACTION REDEFINED
One crucial challenge when designing any wearable device is the
medium of humancomputer interaction; in particular, how do
we as users talk and give commands to our wearables? We use
a User interface, of course.
A User Interface (or UI) commonly refers to a set of commands or menus
for human users to interact with a computer system or program. This can be
achieved via various mediums such as text, touch, voice, and so on (e.g. the
mouse and keyboard driven UI of a PC). Well-designed user interfaces allow
you to perform tasks efficiently and with minimal instructions or training.
While most examples of UIs would point to some visual/text-based
system, owing to their size and often unconventional design, these traditional
UI systems are often impractical for wearable tech. Imagine using a mouse
and keyboard to control a digital watch or headset! Yeah. Not happening.
Fortunately, it is not uncommon to see researchers develop new and
more intuitive ways of humanmachine interaction. Voice commands,
air gestures, and even neurological signals are being implemented as
means of communicating with digital systems. This spells great news
The growth of wearables presents some very interesting opportunities to design new interfaces. Heres how youll talk to your wearables.
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33INTERACTION REDEFINED
for the field of wearables as it opens up a host of possibilities for easier,
more intuitive UI.
Lets take a look at some of the innovations in UI and how they can be
implemented towards wearables.
Gesture InterfacesGesture-based Interfaces rely on bodily motion for input, sometimes aug-
mented by voice-based input. Probably one of the coolest looking ones, this
type of interface was best conceptualized in the 2002 Sci-fi hit, Minority
Report, in which Tom Cruise was shown to perform a number of complicated
computing tasks such as manipulating images and videos using his hands,
which are fitted with some futuristic gloves that seemingly act as sensors.
What seemed like far-fetched science fiction is now slowly becoming
reality, thanks in part to the popularity of mention-sensing game control-
lers such as those seen in the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Move as well
as Microsofts patented Kinect Motion Sensor, which also recognized voice-
activated commands for a very seamless and intuitive user experience.
These devices use a collection of sensors to detect bodily motions when
are then translated to input signals that drive the UI. The Wiimote and
PlayStation Move controller use accelerometers and gyroscopes to translate
the motions made by the controller while the Kinect uses a motion-sensing
camera that is programmed to detect movements made by the users limbs
and head.
One can fathom the vast pool of possibilities and applications that
Gesture-based interfaces hold in terms of wearables. Technology users
have been for the longest time restricted to moving their point of interac-
tion across a two-dimensional field. Think of running your mouse across
your monitor. Flat, isnt it? Now imagine how useful the addition of a third
dimension would be to what has traditionally been a flat interface. You could
pull an object towards you to open their contents or fling them across the
screen to archive or delete them. Bring two-handed gestures into the picture
and youve added another gamut of interaction types. You can stretch an
object to zoom in, clap across it to close, double tap on it to pausewe are
only restricted by our imagination.
Currently, gesture-based interfaces are extremely popular for wearables
that lack a screen. Also, wearables can double up as input devices in such
gesture-based systems. Take, for example, Flying Fingers Mouse, a device
that looks suspiciously like the glove worn by Tom Cruise in Minority
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34 INTERACTION REDEFINED
Report. It uses simple hand gestures to emulate pointer movement and has
buttons on the index and middle finger attachments for clicking; ideal for
those who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.
Augmented Reality InterfaceIn augmented reality (AR), digital objects are incorporated into the users
surroundings allowing them to interact with them in a contextual manner.
For example, bouncing a virtual ball off of a real-life wall, or using a virtual
gun (or a game controller) to shoot virtual enemies in a sort of interactive
digital playground.
There are a lot of real world examples of AR in action. It is a popular
tool for marketing and advertising campaigns, in particular, by using your
smartphone camera to scan your surroundings. A lot of apparel retailers
Thank you Steven Spielberg for your futuristic vision
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INTERACTION REDEFINED 35INTERACTION REDEFINED
have some fitting app where you can try out stuff from their catalog by
either uploading a picture of yourself or in real-time via your phones
front camera. IKEA even has an app that allows you to visualize how their
furniture would look in your home against surrounding objects.
AR and wearables go together like peanut butter and jam. In fact, the
first thing you think of when you think AR must surely be either Googles
Glass or Microsofts HoloLenstwo pioneering devices in the context of
making AR mainstream. Both devices enhance the users everyday visuals
by providing contextually important information on the wearable head-
mounted display. Glass was designed more towards the lines of a smartphone
supplement (much like wearable smartwatches), whereas the HoloLens is
more of a standalone device, although it can be paired with Windows smart
devices for better inter-device control.
This sort of an immersive user interface has numerous applications by
increasing productivity at work and home. The ease of use this interface
offers, not the mention the sheer novelty factor, has made the tech com-
munity extremely excited about its eventual assimilation into mainstream
computing. During a recent Windows 10 press conference, Microsoft teased
a video in which a HoloLens uses built a model UFO using virtual images
shifted around in midair. This idea could be expanded to build plans for
skyscrapers, vehicles and other feats of engineering in seconds using
virtual schematics.
The Think Tank Teamheaded by Pranav Mistry who is also the Director
of Research of Samsung Research Americais developing an AR based
wearable known as SixthSense. Similar to Hololens, SixthSense is focused
on integrating real-world objects with digital information and virtual
objects. The device is made up of a camera and projector pair, worn very
much like a tie, with the camera located at the neck region and the project
placed right around the region between the chest and stomach. The camera
is used to detect four colored rubber bands tied around the tip of your index
and middle fingers on each hand. The motion and gestures made by your
fingers in translated to input for the visual interface output by the projector
on a nearby surface.
This technology is perfectly exemplifies the capacity of AR and its
communion with wearables. Potential applications for SixthSense include
making the photograph gesture with your fingers to instantly capture an
image, scanning book covers and displaying relevant information melded
with the cover image and text, scanning boarding passes and displaying
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36 INTERACTION REDEFINED
information regarding flight time delays and in-flights meals, etc. Really,
your imagination is the limit with such a versatile tool.
Voice User Interface (VUI)Arguably, the most intuitive method of communication for any human
is voice. We learn to communicate using sounds from a very young age.
However, communication is more than just learning a language; it is also
catching slight nuances, understanding the variations in tone, pitch, and
even recognizing the differences in accents. Problems like these were what
plagued voice-recognition algorithms for years, and in turn, making it dif-
ficult for a real-world application of a voice-based user interface.
Fortunately, technology caught up, and we have more than capable
voice-recognition software commercially available with a variety of real-
world applications. The most popular one, Google Now, is almost sentient
in its natureconstantly learning a users likes and dislikes, providing
suggestions with contextual informationits almost like a personal assis-
The new Pokmon game looks to integrate classic Pokmon gameplay with augmented reality
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INTERACTION REDEFINED 37INTERACTION REDEFINED
tant. Similarly, we have Apples and Microsofts equivalent with Siri and
Cortana, respectively, both of which have taken a page (more like a sheaf)
out of Googles playbook.
In the context of wearables, a voice-based interface is such an obvious
choice. What better way to communicate with a device that has no screen
and is placed close enough that you can talk to it? Well, you talk to it. In
fact, Google Glass and Microsoft HoloLens both support voice commands. Furthermore, almost all flagship Android Wear devices support voice
input with Google Now integration. Now, making a note to pay the bills is
as easy as literally telling your watch make a note to pay the bills. What
a time to be alive.
Voice-based interfaces are essential for the continued development on
the concept of the Internet of Things. Soon, homes will be referred to as
smart homes that run on smart energy, use smart appliances and are con-
trolled via smart devices. It is only natural that the most preferred method
of interaction is that which is most intuitive, i.e. voice. It is only a matter of
The Hound app looks to compete with Google Now by supporting more complex voice commands
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38 INTERACTION REDEFINED
time before our smart devices not just recognize what we say, but predict
what we are going to say and act on our thoughts before we do.
BrainComputer InterfaceIt is a known scientific fact that our brains generate electrical signals using
cells known as neurons. In fact, almost all of our thoughts have a unique
brainwave pattern, which are detected using a method known as Electro-
encephalography or EEG. This method uses (in most cases) non-invasive
electrodes placed strategically across the scalp that measure voltage fluctua-
tions resulting from ionic current within the neurons of the brain.
Scientists and doctors have used this method to map brain patterns with
specific commands and actions. This technology has tremendous potential
in terms of interacting with wearable devices, especially those designed to
augment accessibility for physically handicapped people.
Research programs dedicated to developing similar brain-controlled
interfaces have been accelerated of late with additional funding. One of the
Physically handicapped person using a brain-control interface headset to control wheelchair movement
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INTERACTION REDEFINED 39INTERACTION REDEFINED
latest and more path-breaking developments in this field was that of the
brain-controlled wheelchair designed to help paralyzed people gain mobility
by using nothing but their thoughts to control the wheelchairs movement.
Other examples of BrainComputer Interfaces include the Epoc headset
designed by Emotiv. Featured in numerous tech magazines and even on a
TEDx talk, the Epoc headset is a wearable that can detect EEG signals in
14 high-resolution channels and translate this raw data to commands that
can be passed to a software for applicative uses.
The potential for such technology when it comes to wearables is self-
explanatory. It is especially useful when you think of potential to connect
multiple smart devices to such an interface, allowing you to control items
like appliances and electronics to possibly even more complicated appli-
cations such as driving or translating thoughts to text. Envision a future
where you can operate a series on interconnected/interdependent devices
using thoughts alone.
Tangible User Interface (TUI)Weve already talked about the interaction of real-world objects with virtu-
ally designed ones in the discussion of AR-based interfaces. However, the
digital objects in AR are not tangible and will always remain virtual. We
are but grasping at air, and it is a well-known fact that as humans we do
appreciate some feedback when it comes to handling objects. The answer
to this conundrum is the concept of a tangible user interface.
In essence, a TUI allows users to interact with a digital system by manipu-
lating physical objects linked to the particular system with a certain set of
rules. For example, imagine a computer system in which the physical envi-
ronment is seamlessly melded with the corresponding digital domain that
recognizes the manipulation of the real world object in real time. The most
primitive form of a TUI is the humble computer mouse. In fact, moving a
mouse across a flat surface to manipulate an on-screen pointer is the most
direct method of interacting with a digital system through the manipula-
tion of a physical object.
In todays relatively more modern tech era, we have much more awe-inspiring examples of TUI. Take a look at Microsoft Pixelsense, a computing
surface that allows multiple users to interact simultaneously with objects
placed on a large table-sized interactive surface. The platform can be pro-
grammed to sense the type of objects placed on the surface and carry out a
set of commands accordingly. For example, you could place your phone on
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40 INTERACTION REDEFINED
the surface and then interact with content on the phone like view images
and movies, make video calls, or simply access files stored on the phone on
a much bigger interface for easy editing.
The earlier version of Pixelsense (aka Microsoft Surface 1.0; not to be
confused with Microsofts line of high-end laptop/tablet hybrids) used a
near-infrared, 850-nanometer-wavelength LED light source that would
react to changes near the surface by reflecting the light source to sensor
cameras. However, this camera-based system was ditched for a more accu-
rate pressure touch-based platform that could recognize fingers, tags, blobs,
raw data, and objects placed on the screen. Microsoft rechristened this
Microsoft Pixelsense interacting with objects placed on it
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INTERACTION REDEFINED 41INTERACTION REDEFINED
platform as Pixelsense and tied up with Samsung for manufacturing the
revised surface table, now called Samsung SUR40.
Sensor Network User Interface (SNUI)Easily the most intriguing of interfaces on this list, SNUI deals with creating
a humancomputer interface by using networked objects that are designed
specifically to interact with each other. Not unlike TUIs, an SNUI requires
physical, tangible objects that are programmed to interact with each other,
preferably when they are nearby. These objects are all roughly the same
size and plenty in number.
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42 INTERACTION REDEFINED
There are not too many examples of commercially viable SNUI imple-
mentations, but one does deserve a special mention for its sheer innovation
and practicality: Siftables. As described by its inventors David Merrill and
Jeevan Kalanithi, Siftables aims to enable people to interact with informa-
tion and media in physical, natural ways that approach interactions with
physical objects in our everyday lives. Siftables are small electronic devices
with a display, and they are programmed in such a way as to intuitively
and wirelessly interact with other siftables to allow for a more dynamic
and natural computing experience.
For example, when one siftable is place next to another, the parts of
the displace that are in proximity can light up, or change depending on a
context. Think of siftables that display portraits of different people. Now
imagine these portraits dynamically turning to face one another as they
are placed close together. It makes for an almost human-like interaction.
Other potential uses for siftables includes puzzles and interactive learning
toys. SNUI-based systems like siftables are still in a type of prototype stage,
but they can be designed in such a way so as to take advantage of intuitive
human interactions for making computing easy and fun.
Siftables in action. Example of a game played using three siftables.
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INTERACTION REDEFINED 43INTERACTION REDEFINED
Haptic-based InterfacesNot unlike TUIs that weve just discussed, haptic interfaces rely on the user
receiving physical feedback to their input actions. Simply put, tangible
user interfaces require you to perform some sort of physical interaction
with the system, whereas haptic interfaces will provide you with a sort of
haptic feedback, be it in the form of a vibration, a compressionbasically
anything that you can physically feel.
Such interfaces can be used to enhance our gamut of senses by aug-
menting them in a way that we can perceive. This kind of technology is
implemented in devices for physically challenged people such as those
with visual impairments. An excellent example of a haptic interface in a
commercially available device is Lechal, smart footwear that guide you
towards your destination using gentle vibrations.
Lechal utilizes metallic sensors (or pods) that are clipped onto the side
of the shoe or placed in the insoles. The sensors are then paired to the
users smartphone via Bluetooth, who then uses the GPS-supported phone
application that can be also via voice commands. Using real-time location
tracking, the left or right pod will vibrate indicating the direction in which
the user should turn.
Another cool example of haptic feedback is the Alert Shirta piece of
apparel that aims to connect humans across vast distances by detecting the
tangible, physical manifestations of human emotions and transmitting it
for others to feel and share. The Alert Shirt was designed to let sports fans
feel the physical strain and emotional stress that players feel when they
are on the field. It does this using embedded haptic motors that respond to
actions in the games, such as tackles, kicks, and even nerves that a player
might feel when stepping up for a crucial kick. With the rise in popularity of
wearables, it seems only evident that most devices in the future incorporate
some sort of haptic feedback system.
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44 CHAPTER #04
THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES
Over the past half decade, wearable technology has seen a great
surge in popularity as evidenced by its rising sales. From house-
hold brands like Fitbit and Android Wear to pioneering devices
like the Oculus Rift and Google Glass, wearables look very
much like they are here to stay. In the tech sense, wearables are electronic
devices or miniature computers that are integrated into or made to resemble
wearable objects such watches, headbands, bracelets, rings basically any
piece of apparel that can be worn without hassle.
Applications for wearables have encompassed a number of fields.
Weve seen headbands fitted with EEG sensors for tracking brain activity
and translating it into a format that can be used to drive peripheral hard-
ware; in other words, using your brain to control pretty much anything
that can recognize electronic signals. In fact, wearables are also being
Analysing the current trend in wearables leads us to some unique revelations like their role in the enterprise space
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45THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES
used in sports, a prime example of which is the MYOVOLT, a strap-like
device that applies vibration energy directly to muscle, soft tissue and
joints for physiological benefits.
With such a versatile range of applicability, there seem to be few
markets that wearables are yet to penetrate. Finance analyst firm IHS
predicts that from 2013 to 2019, the worldwide market for sensors in
wearables will expand by 67 million units to a staggering 466 million
units. This translates to an estimated increase in the number of wearable
devices from 50 million to 135 million thats a 170% increase or nearly
2.5 times in 6 years.
These numbers are a testament to the success of wearables in the com-
mercial market. People are slowly getting interested in these unobtrusive
devices that are slowing helping in making their daily lives just that
little bit easier. Of course, it helps that most of these wearable devices
are much more affordable than they were a few years ago. For instance,
a developer kit for Google Glass would set you back a staggering $1500.
Definitely not for the casual tech buyer. Compare this with the now less
than $5 Google Cardboard an almost primitive virtual reality headset
made using over-the-counter materials such as cardboard, optical lenses, a
Wearable tech shows great promise in sports and fitness
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46 THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES
magnet, and some rubber bands. Of course, in terms of features and specs,
the two are not even in the league. However, this just goes to illustrate
that wearables can transcend barriers of price; something smartphones
have successfully managed over the past five years or so.
The Birth of an Emerging TrendThe need for wearables arose from an old trend that has relented for cen-
turies: mans need to make devices smaller and more convenient to use.
Before wristwatches were invented, timekeeping devices were clunky
and not known for their portability. Before you know it, wristwatches
were a thing and the rest is history.
Some might say the first true wearable was the humble Bluetooth
headset, devised and developed commercially around the turn of the 21st
century. Of course, we could go further into the past and argue that the
Pulsar Calculator Watch earned the title of the first wearable. It did qualify
as an electronic device that housed a mini computer capable of performing
simple calculations, while doubling up as a nifty looking wristwatch. And
before all of this was the infamous computerized timing device developed
by Mathematicians Edward O. Thorp, and Claude Shannon to help them
cheat in games of roulette.
Back then, there wasnt really a viable market for wearable computers.
In fact, the market for personal computers was slowly picking up, thanks to
the efforts of Microsoft and
IBM. At this point weara-
bles were limited to calcu-
lator watches and camera
and photography-related
devices. One notable device
around the 80s would be
the backpack-mounted
wearable multimedia com-
puter designed and built a
Steve Mann. It was capable
of displaying text, graphics,
and multimedia including
videos. Mann was an early
and active researcher in
the wearables field, and A wearable MP3 player by LG
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THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES 47THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES
eventually went on to famously develop the worlds first Wearable
Wireless Webcam.
It wasnt until the late 2000s that wearables really began gaining some
traction in the technology market. A major contributor to this was the
rise in popularity of smartphones and the widespread adoption of Blue-
tooth. In fact, almost all of todays wearables owe much to this versatile
wireless standard. Bluetooth headsets were seen as a sort of indicator of
professionalism and success. It was also a wearable that greatly boosted
the wearers productivity as it left their hands free for other important
tasks, while also doing away with the hassle of wires.
Wearable music devices were also extremely popular, and the youth demographic was always on the lookout for easier ways to consume
their media. Sony was known for its Walkman range of portable media
players, although most of them were peripheral devices that required a
set of earphones to use. Eventually, Sony decided to test the wearable
market by designing and fervently marketing a pair of headphones that
housed all the components of an MP3 player, making it the worlds first
wearable MP3 player.
The Current Scene in the Wearable Market SpaceNowadays, wearables are much more than just portable MP3 players and
wireless headphones. The increase in the manufacture of microchip-sized
sensors has seen developers increasing experiment with prototypes of
innovative wearables. The more the tech barriers were brought down,
the more startup-scale developers were encouraged to try new things.
One company that knows this all too well is Fitbit. Founded in 2007,
this California-based startup is known for their fitness and health tracking
wearable bands. At the end of Q2 2015, Fitbit had 23.4% share of the
wearables market whilst enjoying a growth of 158% in market value.
However, it wasnt always smooth sailing for them, as cofounder and
CTO Eric Friedman claims there were more than a handful of times they
were close to calling it quits. Fortunately for them, the company had about
25,000 orders at their product launch in Christmas 2009. CEO James
Park says their success was down to the fact that it was the right product
at the right time at the right price point.
However, the biggest contributor to the sudden rise in development
of wearable technology is the success of crowdfunding. Websites like
Kickstarter and Indiegogo have been a massive boon for entrepreneurs
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48 THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES
and small-time engineers who want to see their revolutionary ideas
brought to life but do not have the requisite funds to make it happen. In
fact, Kickstarter has to be credited for bringing modern day wearables a
household name. Enter, the Pebble smartwatch.
Built with an e-paper screen and designed to run with compatible apps
on your iPhone or Android device, the Pebble smartwatch was arguably
the worlds first commercially successful smartwatch. For funding, Pebble
turned to crowdfunding website Kickstarter, and it was not disappointed.
In its first three days, the project attracted 18,867 backers and raised
$2,656,389 of their initial $100,000 target, which successfully put the
watch into production. The project eventually raised $3 million in 60
days making it a runaway success and a great example of the effective-
ness of Kickstarter.
It didnt stop there, however; the successor to the Pebble, aka the Pebble
Time, also had its own Kickstarter campaign, which met its funding goal of
$500,000 in 17 minutes and crossed $1 million in about 49 minutes, a Kick-
starter record. It ended up as the most funded Kickstarter campaign reaching
nearly $14 million while still having 21 days remaining in its campaign.
OUYA: Proof that not all successful Kickstarter projects end up as consumer favorites
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THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES 49THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES
The Rise of Smart Bands and Smart Watches in Mainstream Consumer TechSome argue that smartwatches and smartbands still have a while to go before
they achieve mainstream popularity in India. Most Indians view them as
an unnecessary piece of technology, and that their marketing strategy is
to simply create demand which does not exist. Arguable, who really needs
a fitness band or smartwatch? There are a number of fitness apps that use
your smartphones inbuilt sensors to track steps and calculate distance
travelled, thus leaving most consumers who buy a smartband with the
feeling that they have paid premium bucks for a device whose features
were already available in their pocket.
The sudden growth of startups and the widespread adoption of a
consumerist lifestyle, especially among the middle class, has arguably
led to a drastic deterioration in the average Indians health. It seems
that the market is ripe for products that can help improve failing fitness
levels by any means possible. According to the Connected Intelligent
Consumers and Wearables report by the NPD group, one in ten adults
in the United States owns a fitness tracker. As current trends imply, the
Indian market does not seem to be extremely thrilled about wearable, in
particular smartbands and smartwatches.
However, the adoption of new technology is always met with some
resistance. Before smartphones became not just a common sight but
also an essential part of everyday life, they were looked at as expensive
devices that could only be afforded by people from higher income blocks.
However, their immense potential and scalability were critical factors in
their eventual widespread adoption. So much so that smartphones are
affordable and available even for people in rural areas. Wearables are
slowly progressing to this stage of mainstream marketability.
Currently, wearables fall somewhere between the affordable and
expensive price brackets. Top brand smartwatches range between $80
(`5,600) to as high as $1,100 (`70,000). You can also get a cheaper
Chinese model smartwatch for as low as `1,500 if you know where to
look. Smartbands are generally more affordable. The Mi band is a very
popular fitness band, and retails for approximately `1,000. Fitbit bands
were recently released in India and cost between `5,590 and `10,390.
India also has its very own smartband offering in GOQii. This com-
pany is trying to bypass the technology stigma by offering customers a
complete fitness service that includes the assistance of a fitness coach
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50 THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES
who helps you a personalized fitness plan along with daily guidance and
motivation. You can opt for a 3, 6, or 12-month subscription plans, all of
which come with a free GOQii Activity Tracker. Hopefully, services like
this may help acclimatize Indian consumers to the concept of wearbles.
The Potential of Wearables in the Enterprise SpaceWearables are an emerging technology and seem to have wasted little
time in flooding the already packed consumer tech market. Initially
seen as a niche market that was dominated by startups such as Fitbit
and Pebble, a number of major companies, such as Google, Samsung,
Sony, and Microsoft have also joined in the fray, churning out devices
on 6-month to yearly cycle. However, their high price tag seems to be the
biggest deterrent to their market success, besides the fact that most users
are hesitant in spluging a considerable amount of money on a product,
most of whose functions can be carried out by a normal smartphone
or tablet. Another factor is that there seems to be very little immediate
gain to buying a smartwatch or smartband that costs anywhere between
`5,000 to `20,000. If it is a question of fitness, the average Indian
5 popular fitness app: (up left to bottom right) Sports Tracker, Adidas Micoach, Runkeeper, Endomondo Sports Tracker
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THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES 51THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES
would consider opting instead for a yearly gym subscription, which
costs just as much.
On the other hand, wearable seem to have much greater short-term
value for corporates and startups. In the case of service industries, weara-
bles can boost employee efficiency by providing them to convenient access
to process data and instructions, while their hands are left free to handle
machinery and equipment. Wearables can also lead to extensive cost
savings in complicated and expensive enterprise processes. For example,
oil-drilling companies spend up to hundreds of millions in identifying
and exploring drilling sites. They could equip on-site workers with cus-
tomized wearable devices to stream real-time data and information from
a control room. These can also monitor and control staff communicate
changes, and potentially highlight any gaps in communication, which is
often a common factor in process errors.
APX Labs, the creators of the Smartglass software for the Xbox One,
estimate the number of desk-less workers in the United States who could
benefit from implement wearables is about 40 million. This is across a
number of sectors including healthcare, retail or wholesale, manufac-
turing, government, transportation, construction, as well as resources
and utilities. After its initial demonstrations a a the recent Windows 10
conference, Microsofts HoloLens was hailed as being the next big thing
in the field of augmented reality, and for good reason.
The HoloLens features a transparent holographic display on which
the headset can project overlays of virtual images. These images can then
be manipulated by motion and gestures. This sort of technology is a God-
send in jobs and services that require complex spatial conceptualizations
such as architecture and city planning to name a few. Offsite trainers can
demonstrate complex tasks employees by projecting instructions over
existing real life projects. Collaboration can also be made easier; imagine
teams sharing design ideas in a three dimensional space. If properly
executed. HoloLens has the potential for wide commercial adoption in
the enterprise space.
The Future of MarketingAt present, the best means of gaining Marketing data is through online
interactions. The information that you share on social media, the posts you
like, the links you share, the websites that you visit, even the email you
read, are all valuable data that marketers thrive for. While the accuracy
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52 THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES
of this data is often suspect considering the number of imposters and
fraudsters, there is no denying the results. The only drawback to this
system is that it cannot accurately predict consumer habits.
In this respect, wearable technology lends great promise to the future
of personalised advertising and marketing. Wearable technology devices
can potentially be used hundreds of times over the course of a day, more
people will engage with them than their traditional gadgets, meaning that
every minute is trackable and buying habits and personal preferences
can be easier tracked. While this sort of intrusive marketing is bound to
receive criticism, the average consumer may forever be unaware of it and
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THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES 53THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES
how it affects their routine. For example, the fact that Google and Facebook
make use of your saved preferences to deliver specific ads targeted to your
specific demographic is surprisingly unknown to the average Internet
user. If consumers are prepared to enjoy such a personalized service at
the cost of their personal data, time will tell.
The HoloLens in action
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54 CHAPTER #05
LETS TALK DEVICES
Judging by the name itself, wearable technology clearly refers to
gadgets that you wear. However, there is a critical distinction that
separates what qualifies as wearable tech and standard electronic
peripherals such as headphones or digital watches. Wearable
technology helps devices connect to a smart network to help play
a number of functions that would otherwise require multiple device. and
they do this using sensors and network connectivity. You can use them to
track your fitness, stay organized, and stay updated even when your away
from a phone or computer.
Wearables are wrist worn, clipped to your body, hung around the neck,
and even implanted under your skin. Some manufacturers are attempting
to integrate wearable technology with clothing and jewelery. So what are
the main kinds of wearables available in the market right now?
Smartwatches In terms of functionality, few wearables can compete with the versatility
of smartwatches. All smartwatches come with a display, which can be
By showcasing the multitude of devices out there, well help you select the right wearable for you
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55LETS TALK DEVICES
either monochrome or color, and have a digital watch face that is either
always on or can be woken up from sleep much like a smartphone dis-
play. To qualify as a smartwatch, however, they should ideally possess
secondary functions such a calculator, organizer and more complex ones
such as a note keeping app and fitness tracking capabilities. For this, most
high-end smartwatches include electronic sensors such as a heart rate
sensor, accelerometer, thermometer, altimeter, barometer, compass, and
chronograph. More expensive models are fitted with GPS chips making
them great devices for navigation.
Smartwatches fall into two categories: The first type referred to as
standalone smartwatches, do not require pairing with another device.
These smartwatches generally have a SIM card slot for Internet connec-
tivity and are powered by faster processors. This means they are generally
more expensive and relatively heavier than the other the other type, aka
the pairable type. These smartwatches requires a connection to a primary
device, generally via Blu