Wearable computers: a new paradigm in computer systems and their applications

Abstract

THE convergence of a variety of technologies makes possible an entirely new way of using information processing. Continued advances in semiconductor technology produce high performance microprocessors requiring less power and less space. Decades of research in computer science have provided the technology for hands-free computing using speech and gesturing for input. Miniature heads-up displays weighing less than a few ounces have been introduced. Combined with mobile communication technology, it is possible for users to access information anywhere and anytime. Body-worn computers providing hands-free operation offer compelling advantages in many applications. Wearable computers deal in information rather than programs, becoming tools in the user’s environment much like a pencil or a reference book. The wearable computer provides portable access to information. Furthermore, the information can be automatically accumulated by the system as the user interacts with and modifies the environment, thereby eliminating the costly and errorprone process of information acquisition. Much as personal computers allow accountants and bookkeepers to merge their information space with their workspace (i.e., a sheet of paper), wearable computers allow mobile processing and the superposition of information on the users workspace. When combined with pervasive computing, wearable computers will provide access to the right information at the right place and at the right time. Distractions are even more of a problem when they occur in mobile environments than desktop environments since the user is often preoccupied with walking, driving, or other real-world interactions. A pervasive computing environment that minimizes distraction has to be context aware. Context-aware computing describes the situation where a mobile computer is aware of its user’s state and surroundings and modifies its behavior based on this information. A user’s context can be quite rich, consisting of attributes such as physical location, physiological state (such as body temperature, heart rate, and skin resistance), emotional state (such as angry, distraught, or calm), personal history, daily behavioral patterns, etc. If a human assistant were given such context, he or she would make decisions in a proactive fashion, anticipating user needs. In making these decisions, the assistant would typically not disturb the user at inopportune moments except in an emergency. The goal is to enable mobile computers to play an analogous role, exploiting context information to significantly reduce demands on human attention. Combined with inferences about users’ intentions, context-aware computing would allow improvement in user-perceived network and application performance and reliability. Context-aware intelligent agents can deliver relevant information when a user needs that information. These data make possible many exciting new applications, such as augmented reality, context aware collaboration, wearable assisted living, augmented manufacturing, and maintenance. Wearable computing brings the power of a pervasive computing environment to a person by placing computing and sensory resources on the user in an unobtrusive way. These computers can be specialized and modular, like items of clothing. Unlike laptops or handheld computers, wearable computers offer many new models to interact beyond keyboards and touch screens, in a natural, intuitive way, such as sound and tactile feedback. Also, wearables can be easily reconfigured to meet specific needs of applications. Every wearable computer system must be viewed from three different axes: the human, the computer, and the application. Within each of these axes there are difficult problems that must be solved and there are problems that arise from the fact that there are three axes. The human axis emphasizes wearability, which is defined as the interaction between the human body and the wearable object. Dynamic wearability includes the human body in motion. Design for wearability considers the physical shape of objects and their active relationship with the human form. Researchers explored history and cultures, including topics such as clothing, costumes, protective wearables, and carried devices. These studies of physiology, biomechanics, and movement were codified into guidelines for designing wearable systems. User comfort is a critical design consideration in many applications. New technologies such as smart textiles will significantly improve the functionality and ergonomics of wearable computers. The computer axis deals with the problems related to construction of a system with particular fabrics, size, power consumption, and user interface software. The application axis emphasizes mobile application design challenges and efficient mapping of problem solving capabilities to application requirements. Wearable computers have established their first foothold in several application domains, such as vehicle and aircraft maintenance and manufacturing, inspection procedures, augmented reality, context aware collaboration, language translation, etc. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTERS, VOL. 52, NO. 8, AUGUST 2003 977