Wearable Electronics

The evolution of the Computer Human interface may seem to be rooted in the infernal keyboard and its recent travelling companion, the mouse, but much work is being done in the areas of virtual worlds, voice recognition, handwriting recognition and gesture recognition to give us a new paradigm of computing. It now appears we are on the edge of another brave new virtual world – the direct interface between the brain and the computer is here. One of the Holy Grail’s of research, there are many such projects going on around the world at present. Now the German g.tec (Guger Technologies) group has taken the technology out of the lab and into the real world with a complete BCI kit, and amazingly, there’s also a kit for a pocket PC - a super-low-weight biosignal recording system “g.MOBIlab” is used to measure the EEG and the data processing, analysis and pattern recognition are performed on a commercially available Pocket PC or in this case, your windows PC. The first BCI system will enable the composition and sending of messages, and control of a computer game. There’s also an invasive (implanted) option still being trialled in the laboratory – this is significantly more effective abnd the system can already accept and process input from both the embedded array and the cap array. Though the first work in the area is focussed on enabling paralysed humans to communicate far more freely, the potential to enhance one’s communications quite freely is clearly not that far away. There’s also the potential unlocked by putting such a device into the hands of thousands of eager and capable amateurs who will no doubt broaden the understanding of the human mind with their pursuits. The BCI system is nominated for the 2007 European ICT Grand Prize.  Read More

February 7, 2007 Part of the collateral damage in the invasion of personal technology has been the increase in the number of important belongings we need to carry with us to function efficiently – just a few short years ago, it was just keys and wallet and sunglasses and maybe prescription glasses and perhaps a filofax, but most of us now also carry a mobile phone and MP3 player, a PDA and maybe we’d even carry a compact camera if we had a spare pocket ... and so it goes. Briefcases, backpacks and bags are the most popular solutions to this gadget clutter, but they make vulnerable targets for thieves, and heaven knows how much pain the loss of a phone, PDA or keys might cause. Indeed, for this humble writer, the personal inventory checks which need to be carried out every time I move location seem to take a disproportionate amount of my limited CPU activity. Now there’s a new and interesting range of garments which carry all of these objects and can be worn under existing clothes. Urban Tool sportHolsters come in a number of functional and quite diverse designs suitable for slipping your whole digital ensemble under a tux or being able to work out in the gym while wearing one comfortably. We really like this idea – for the next decade at least, we’ll have lots of gadgets to carry and this body-hugging holster concept appears the most practical solution.  Read More

January 29, 2007 We’ve written several times about the concept of electronically fencing dogs and cats for their safety, or the safety of others. Similarly, as GPS technologies have become commercially viable, of tracking assets and loved ones to ensure their safety. Now personal location services company GTXC Corporation, is set to unveil a line of Xplorer Smart GPS shoes at the World Shoe Association (WSA) in Las Vegas on February 1 which offer a range of new opportunities. Xplorer shoes incorporate a small and robust GPS tracking device which hooks up with GTXC's internet user portal to offer a very compelling array of personal location services. The portal enables caretakers to easily define safe zones or un-safe zones or geographical boundaries on a Google Earth map and to set up cell phone alerts if a perimeter is breached by the wearer. This should significantly benefit caretakers of children and the elderly, as they can easily customize their monitoring and text location alerting through a simple "set it and forget it" system. The shoes also employ assisted GPS for enhanced indoor location accuracy, and will transmit for days before a recharge is needed. The intelligent power source enables a guardian to track the whereabouts of a loved one and the performance and status of the device itself from any handheld. Xplorer is inviting discussion with footwear and clothing manufacturers interested in pursuing the myriad opportunities for the device in areas such as military, maritime and law enforcement, personal health monitoring, physical training, live real-time gaming for groups of wearers, and even extending to interaction with appliances and other household items.  Read More

November 20, 2006 iRiver released an interesting new personal media device onto its home Japanese market last Friday (November 17) which is one of the first of an entirely new breed of wearable device that combines the elegance of jewelery with some compelling functionality. Firstly the S10 is little larger than a postage stamp and with dimensions of 42 x 30 x 10.8 mm, small and light enough (17.5 grams) so it won’t get in the way. It also has a small 96 x 128 pixel, 65,000 color 1.15 inch OLED screen which can play MPEG-4 video or run a slide show and its Lithium polymer battery offers eight hours of continuous playback so the lights don’t go before the party's over.  Read More

November 13, 2006 The impact of ubiquitous personal digital technology on the way we live is only starting to become evident, though it’s a safe bet that what we do and say is far more likely to be recorded (and published) than ever before given that most people in developed nations are now carrying an audio recording device (in their MP3 player or phone), a digital camera (in their phone) and perhaps even a digital video recording device in one of their toys too. That’s one of the aspects of RareMonoShop’s new FMP3 watch that we think makes it a killer app. The otherwise normal-looking watch can record up to a Gigabyte of conversation/negotiations and suddenly the worth of that verbal contract being the paper it’s written on (i.e. nada) increases substantially in value. Apart from service as a covert recording device, there are several other aspects of the FMP3 watch that make it a winner – it records audio direct from any source such as a CD player or radio, with or without a computer (USB2.0 and Windows or Mac), has an FM transmitter which means you can play it through your car audio system and sells with 1GB memory for JPY16,800 (US$143) and 500MB for JPY12,800.00 (US$109). A few examples of other new products to be sold from the new English-language website designed for international customers include a clever portable Aluminium lap-desk, a laptop holder for the car, a Silent Keyboard/Mouse and a bunch of USB-powered devices such as a bottle cooler and warmer, an Aroma Diffuser, Warmer Slippers/Gloves, Seat Warmer, Eye Warmer and a 9 port USB Hub that looks like a Gold Ingot. The new web site opens this week though we have the Japanese-language address if you want a sneak peak.  Read More

October 27, 2006 If you were hankering for one of those iPod-infused jackets but they didn’t have anything in a suitable style to begin with, things are looking up, as the Kenpo Jacket for iPod range has just added 15 new styles and more than a dozen colors including bubble jackets (some with fur-lined hoods), sleek sprinter’s jackets, snowboarding jackets and windbreakers. From snowboarding to a night on the town, wearers can pause, skip tracks and adjust volume, without fumbling with awkward zippers and gloves, or hard to get to pockets, all the while leaving one’s iPod tucked away in the jacket's inner padded pouch. There's also a new locking feature that prevents the settings from being changed due to accidental bumping.  Read More

October 24, 2006 Electronics are slowly forcing their way into our clothes (the iPod-enabled suit) and our carry-alls. G-Tech’s new Messenger Bag includes an integrated external speaker and provides a space to stash a cell phone and Apple iPod inside and control the iPod from the strap of the bag. The US$130 bags will be available mid-November and offer use of the built-in speaker to deliver stereo-quality external sound, or a built-in, universal 3.5mm extension jack that plugs into virtually any device, including laptops, to route audio through the speaker. The bags utilize Eleksen’s ElekTex smart fabric controls, a unique five-layer laminate of electrically conductive materials that transforms fabric into an electronic touchpad. The technology replaces hard touch pads, flexi-circuits and polymer switches which have limited the growth of the wearable electronics market with restrictive wiring.  Read More

October 11, 2006 Enterprise Mobility Company Symbol Technologies yesterday introduced a new wearable mobile computer and scanner system for high-performance computing in extreme environments. Worn on either the wrist or the hip, Symbol's WT4000 series of wearable mobile computers allow users to move freely and scan data, access business-critical information, and accurately perform data entry in real-time. For maximum flexibility, Symbol’s new wearable mobile computer also offers headset support for voice picking.  Read More

September 2, 2006 The world’s largest consumer electronics trade fair, Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) opened in Berlin yesterday, and one of the big stories is the demonstration of promotional jackets and furniture featuring Philips’ innovative Lumalive technology. Lumalive fabrics feature flexible arrays of colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs) fully integrated into the fabric - without compromising the softness or flexibility of the cloth. These light emitting textiles make it possible to create materials that can carry dynamic messages, advertisements, graphics and constantly changing colour surfaces. Fabrics used in drapes, cushions or sofa coverings become active and designers can use different inputs to change the illumination based on user behaviour. Prototypes of the technology were first exhibited at IFA 2005 but unlike those early example, the products on display at IFA are ready for commercialization, particularly by companies in the promotional industry looking for a new, high-impact medium. We can’t wait to see what the design industry can do with these capabilities.  Read More