Wearable Computing

Alexander Nelson

March 28th, 2018

University of Arkansas - Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering

Wearable Computing

Wearable Computing – Body-borne computers

Computers worn under, with, or on top of clothing

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History of Wearable

Wristwatch – 1530

Ring Abacus – 1600s Claude Shannon Roulette – 1961 2

History of Wearable

More notable events:

• 1970 – Pocket calculators

• 1977 – HP Calculator Watch

• 1977 – CC Collins wearable camera-to-tactile vest for the blind

• 1979 – Sony Walkman

• 1990 – Olivetti Active Badge

• 1993 – Thad Starner wearable computer – becomes the Lizzy

• 1997 – Creation/Pentland Smart Clothes Fashion Show

More at https://www.media.mit.edu/wearables/lizzy/timeline.html

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Form Factors

Wearable computers are typically:

• Wrist Mounted – e.g. Watches

• Head Mounted – e.g. Helmet, Earphones, Glasses

• Worn from Neck – e.g. Necklace

• Strapped to arm/leg – e.g. Smartphone exercise band, pipboy

• Part of clothing – e.g. Integrated into fabrics, Belt, Shoe,

etc...

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Applications of Wearables

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Application Specific vs. General Purpose

Application Specific – Wearable meant to perform a single task

General Purpose – Wearable able to perform many different tasks

Why have wearables been application specific until recently?

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Function determines Form

Some interaction patterns can only occur at specific body locations

Examples:

• Wrist-mounted accelerometer activity monitor is more

accurate than pocket-borne

• Heads-up-display must be head-mounted

• Pulse meter must have skin contact

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Form determines Function

The form of a wearable can similarly determine the function

What interactions are possible given a certain form?

How do users expect to interact with a system based on its form?

Perceptual expectation of wearable computing to conform to

analogues based on location

e.g. Look at watch, glasses record video

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Resource Constraints

The form of a wearable greatly determines the available resources

Example: Apple Watch Series 3

• Sensors – Accel/Gyro/HR/Barometer

• Actuators - Haptic, Speaker

• Communications – WiFi, Bluetooth, Cellular

• Displays – 39mm LCD screen

• Storage – 16GB Flash, 728MB RAM

• Computation – Apple S3 processor (>780MHz dual-core)

• Power – 1.07 Watt hours – “Up to 18 hours”

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Available Development Tools

No good commercial development kits for general purpose

wearables until Android/Apple Watches

Research Kits:

• MIT Lizzy (Head mounted 1997) –

https://www.media.mit.edu/wearables/lizzy/

• MIT MIThril (Vest 2003) –

https://www.media.mit.edu/wearables/mithril/

• Hexiwear (2016 Watch) – Open source smartwatch kit

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