Smart Clothes
Dateline: 01/28/00
Remember the article on "smart homes" published just a few weeks ago? This time we'll see the effects that "smart clothes" will have on our social and business interactions. The era of affordable wearable computers has (well, almost) started. Now imagine T-shirt that functions like a motherboard, with plastic optical fibers and other specialty fibers woven throughout the actual fabric of the shirt. Sci-Fi? Of course not.
As the prices of the hardware devices continue to fall, wearable computers give the opportunity to bring new sensors and technology into everyday life. A wearable computer is a device that is always with you, comfortable and easy to keep and use, and as unobtrusive as clothing. This is where the term "smart clothes" comes into play. Of course, some would argue that modern PDAs are also lightweight, unobtrusive and easy to use. However, wearables are portable while operational (can be used while walking), allow for hands-free use (speech input, heads-up display, voice output), able to convey information to its user even when not actively being used and usually have sensors for the physical environment.
There are several excellent "academic" sources of information on wearable computers. MIT Wearable Computing Web Page is one of the best, although a little outdated at some places. I'll just mention "A Brief History of Wearable Computing" timeline, list of conferences/workshops, excellent links on related software and hardware, articles on augmented memory and augmented reality, remembrance agents... University of Toronto, on the other hand, is organizing ECE1766, new course on Personal Cybernetics, Mediated Reality, and Personal Imaging, focusing on what will become the most important visual aspects of truly personal computation and communication. Carnegie Mellon University Web pages also offer a wealth of information on wearable computing systems, with the emphasis on the integration of the user's information space and work space, called humionics. Here you can find info on multimedia wearable computers used by Boeing personell for aircraft inspection applications, VuMan series that is used mainly for tour navigation and maintenance tasks, voice activated/speech response system, and much more.
Many interesting information on R&D; related to the wearable computing can be found while browsing through other sites: Stanford, University of Essex, Birmingham, Columbia, Oregon, etc. However, one of the most interesting applications of "smart clothing" comes from Georgia Tech: it is a "Wearable Motherboard" that can fulfill the twin roles of being a flexible information infrastructure and a system for monitoring the vital signs of individuals. Early research in this area was done by the military which developed clothing made from plastic optical fibres woven throughout the actual fabric of the shirt and able to measure how badly injured a soldier would be from the speed and entry point of a bullet. To pinpoint the exact location of the wound, a modulated signal is sent from one end of the plastic optical fiber to a receiver at the other end, connected to a Personal Status Monitor (PSM) worn at hip-level. If the light from the emitter does not reach the receiver inside the PSM, it signifies that the "Smart Shirt" has been penetrated. Away from the battlefield, this shirt can prevent sudden infant death syndrome and other dangerous health disorders, helping undersea explorers, athletes, firefighters, police officers... you name it. The power supply for such clothing could come in many shapes: batteries, shoes which generate power as the user is walking or even some more exotic source. Taking the idea of smart underwear further, it could interact with the heating system of a house to reach a comfortable temperature.
OK, let's stop for a moment and see if there are any commercial systems that are available right of-the-shelf. The Xybernaut Mobile Assistant IV (MA IV™) is one of the most advanced wearable computers in the world, featuring all the functionality and connectivity of a fully-functioned networked desktop PC, without resorting to a special OS or other exotic solutions. It is available with a touch screen flat panel color display or head mounted color display with hands-free voice recognition and activation, with optional Xybercam video camera.
For those of you that would rather choose casual appearance instead of "Borg look", ViA Inc. offers "the power and convenience in a comfortable belt". Their newest product, ViA II PC perfectly fits in a belt behind your back, offering PC-class computing power and standard Windows 98 OS.
If you like more practical, hands-on approach, detailed plains for building your own wearable computer from scratch can be found at several places around the Web. A visit to the sites describing Lizzy and WearComp6 is highly recommended, even if you don't want to mess with soldering iron and similar tools. Need more? See the Wearable Showcase, a tour of some of the wearables people have built (or are building) around the world. The best thing here is that technical specifications and instructions accompany the pictures of these wearable computing systems.
Other sites of interest:
The MIT/IDEO project is a joint effort between the MIT Media Lab and IDEO Product Development to address the human side of wearable computing.
This is a Linux box that you can carry in a fanny pack.
More information on NASA's Body Wearable Computer project.
At IBM's User Systems Ergonomic Research Lab in Almaden, California, scientists are finding ways for technology to fit into and enhance social situations rather than intruding upon them.
Using various conductive textiles, data and power distribution as well as sensing circuitry can be incorporated directly into wash-and-wear clothing. This paper describes some of the techniques used to build circuits from commercially available fabrics, yarns, fasteners, and components.
Inventor of several wearable computers, including the WearComp7.
Good introductory paper by Steve Mann.
A brief outline description of the OS-9 based wearable computer being developed by Russ Hoffman.
MP3 portables, smart-phones, and, most importantly, wearable computers.
The WetPC is an underwater wearable computer built at AIMS.
This site does not attempt to rank, or review hardware, software, or other technologies which may be used in wearable computing systems, but rather present useful links to current sources of information and products for the wearable community. One of the best in its category.
Excellent introductory article from CNET.com.
Another good introductory article by by Chen Mau Lee.
Wearable computers can change the way you do business. WearableTech Corp. can give you more info on customized wearable solutions.
Human interface technology lab at the University of Washington focuses on human computer interfaces and virtual interface technology.