Seminar 2012

Wearable computers

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

This is to certify that the Seminar work entitled WEARABLE COMPUTERS

Submitted to Kristu Jyoti College of Management and Technology Chethipuzha, Changanacherry, is a bonafide record of work done by Ms. LAREN JOSE Reg. No. in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree in Master of Computer Applications of Mahatma Gandhi University

Course in Charge Mr. Roji Thomas

Class In charge Mr. Susheel George

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all I would like to express my sincere gratitude to KRISTU JYOTHI COLLEGE that gave me such a great opportunity. I am grateful to the Principal Fr. JOSHY CHEERAMKUZHY as he is the leading light of our institution. I would like to thank the Head of the Department of Computer Science, Mr. ROJI THOMAS for his advice throughout the seminar. I extend my deepest sense of gratitude to Mr.Susheel George, for his sincere effort as a seminar guide. Now I would like to thank all the teachers of the college and my entire batch Mates for their support and encouragement. I truly admire my parents for their constant encouragement and enduring support, which is inevitable for the success of my venture. Above all, I thank God almighty abiding kind blessings forever.

Laren Jose

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Wearable computers

Contents
1. Introduction 2. History 3. Discussion 4. Digital Fabric 5. Rational Details 6. Applications 7. Advantages 8. Disadvantages 9. Conclusion 10. References

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WEARABLE COMPUTER

1. INTRODUCTION
A wearable computer is a computer that is subsumed into the personal space of the user, controlled by the user, and has both operational and interactional constancy, i.e. is always on and always accessible. Most notably, it is a device that is always with the user, and into which the user can always enter commands and execute a set of such entered commands, and in which the user can do so while walking around or doing other activities. This transformation allows it to be worn constantly, with the goal of becoming a seamless extension of body and mind, equipped with various sensors which measure heart rate, respiration, footstep rate etc, and can help in body maintenance. The wearablecomputer apparatus is embedded within non transparent clothing which provides shielding. Electronic circuits are built entirely out of textiles to distribute data and power and perform touch sensing. The most salient aspect of computers, in general, (whether wearable or not) is their reconfigurability and their generality, e.g. that their function can be made to vary widely, depending on the instructions provided for program execution. With the wearable computer (Wear Comp), this is no exception, e.g. the wearable computer is more than just a wristwatch or regular eyeglasses: it has the full functionality of a computer system but in addition to being a fully featured computer, it is also inextricably intertwined with the wearer. This is what sets the wearable computer apart from other wearable devices such as wristwatches, regular eyeglasses, wearable radios, etc.

2. HISTORY
The concept of wearable computing was first brought forward by SteveMann, who, with his invention of the Wear Comp in 1979 created a pioneering effort in wearable computing. Although the effort was great, one of the major disadvantages was the fact that it was nothing more than a miniature PC. Absence of lightweight, rugged and fast processors and display devices was another drawback. The 1980s brought forward the development of the consumer camcorder, miniature CRTs etc. brought forward the development of the eyeglass mounted multimedia computer. With the advent of the internet and wireless networking technologies, wearable devices have developed a great deal. After its invention wearables have gone through 18 generations of development, with research going on at prestigious institutions like MIT, Georgia Tech and Carnegie Mellon University.

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3. DISCUSSION
3.1 OPERATIONAL MODES
The operational modes in this new interaction between human and computer are:

Constancy:
The computer runs continuously, and is always ready to interact with user. Unlike handheld device, laptop computer, or PDA, it does not need to be opened up and turned on prior to use. The signal flow human to computer to human, runs continuously to provide a constant user interface.

Augmentation:
Traditional computing paradigms are based on the notion that computing is the primary task. Wearable computing, however, is based on the notion that computing is NOT the primary task. The assumption of wearable computing is that the user will be doing something else at the same time as doing computing. Thus the computer should serve to augment the intellect, or augment the senses. .

3.2 ATTRIBUTES
There is different information flow paths associated with this new Human machine synergy. The signal flow paths are, in fact, attributes of wearable computing, and are described, that follows, from the humans Point of view: UNRESTRICTIVE to the user: Ambulatory, mobile, roving you can do other things while using it, e.g. you can type while jogging, etc.
OBSERVABLE

by the user:

It can get your attention continuously if you want it to. Almost always observable. Within reasonable limitation (e.g. that you might not see the screen while you blink or look away momentarily) the output medium is constantly perceptible by the wearer.
CONTROLLABLE

by the user:

It means responsive to the user. You can grab control of it at any time you wish. Even in automated processes you can manually override to break open the control loop and become part of the loop at any time you want to. (E.g.: A big Halt button you want as an application mindlessly opens all 50 documents that were highlighted when you accidentally pressed Enter would make a computer more controllable

4. DIGITAL FABRIC
Cotton, polyester or rayon don't have the needed properties to carry the electrical current needed for digital clothing. However, metallic yarns are not new to the clothing industry. We have seen these metallic fabrics worn to make fashion statements for years. Researchers at MIT's Media Lab are using silk organza, a unique fabric that has been used to make clothes in India at least a century. Silk organza is ideal for computerized clothing because it is made with two fibres that make it conductive to electricity. The first fibre is an ordinary silk thread; running in the opposite direction of the fibre silk thread that is wrapped in a thin copper foil. It's this copper foil that gives the silk organza the ability to conduct electricity.

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5. RATIONAL DETAILS
How do you operate a wear comp? What sort of software do you use in it? What do you use it as input and output devices? Where do you Store data? How do you store them? All these are common questions that would arise in someone new to wear comp below given are brief answers to such common questions. 5.1 SOFTWARE: The commonly used operating system on a wearable computer is WOS (wear comp OS). Red hat and GNU Linux can be run in close coordination as an operating system too. Various software mostly GNU freeware such as GIMP (GNU image modulation program) as well as various calendar and planning programs can be run on a wearable computer. 5.2 HARDWARE Prices of wearable computers tend to be in "thousands of dollars" whether you buy old or new. An alternative approach is to assemble a low cost system. For example, you can buy an old computer that has NTSC output and connect to small CRT from camera. Some such complete wearable computer systems have been built for as little cost. 5.3 DISPLAY: A major part of the total cost of the wearable computer system lies in its display unit. Mainly two types of display are used. (i) Common portable LCD display (ii) Head mounted display 5.4 KEY BOARD: At the higher end, you can get a "twiddler" from Hand key, or keyboard from info grip. You can connect micro switches that enable you to plug directly into the keyboard port. A combination keyboard that weighs 4 ounces and fits in the palm of your hand. The twiddler 2 is an existing technology of wearable computing. 5.5 BATTERIES OF WEARCOMP: 1. Low cost batteries 2. High performance batteries 5.6 VOLTAGE REGULATOR: These are used in order to keep the voltage of Li-Ion batteries constant as output voltage drops significantly, with usage from a full charge. Another reason for constant voltage is that various components of Wear Comp require different voltage.

6. APPLICATIONS
Wisely designed technology can properly address the concern for humanistic property, and therefore need not be focused on external control just like taming with a piece of itself. In fact, the fundamental use of wear comp may very well in personal empowerment of the individual. Smart computing will allow us to explore all potential of many modern technologies and ideas without wanting us to sacrifice freedom or privacy. Instead of current vision of smart floors, smart light switches, smart elevators, smart furniture and other smart technologies that watch us correspond to our actions, what we will witness is the emergence of smart people.

6.1 MediWear:It closely monitors the wearer's body functions and the moment that any one of them becomes critical, the pre-defined medical unit is notified remotely.

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6.2 Smart eyeglasses: It would not appreciably obstruct the wearer's vision, or otherwise be encumbering, so that, for example, the wearer could play a competitive game of volleyball wearing the apparatus. It would not look unsightly. Ideally it would not be visible.

6.3 Smart shoes: Inside the shoes there is an array of transducers that picks up the impact upon the ground. The shoes supplies the personal worn computer with information about how the feet are impacting on the ground, and this information could be used to control an external process in an intimate manner.

6.4 Smart cards and badges: Wear Cam is a simple apparatus for effortless capture, display, processing and transmission of visual Imagery. Wear Cam viewfinder goes beyond merely setting the camera correctly. Since the apparatus is worn on an extended period of time, one adapts to it, and it begins to function as a true extension of body. In this way, the viewfinder transcends being just a composition toward allowing the camera to "become" the eye of the wearer. A creative application Wear Cam is in personal documentary. The question of privacy is often raised with respect to Wear Cam. The apparatus suggests that shopkeepers and customers alike, police and ordinary citizens alike, etc. must respect the possibility that they could be caught on camera. With Wear Cam nobody will know whether or not a particular person is wearing a camera,

6.5 Military Applications:The smart shirt project at Georgia Tech was originally financed by the navy, beginning in 1999. At that time the shirt was being designed for soldiers in combat, so that medical personnel could find the exact location of a bullet wound. To pinpointthe location of the bullet penetration, a light signal is continually be sent from one end of the optical fibre to a receiver on the other end. This fibre is also connected to a personal status monitor worn on the hip. If the light from the emitter does not reach the receiver inside the monitor, this signals that the soldier has been shot. The light signal then bounces back to the point of penetration, which helps doctors to find the exact location of the bullet wound.

7. ADVANTAGES
1. Portability. 2. Hands-free use. 3. Comfortable. 4. Always on for the task it is designed. 5. Quick to access. 6. Fashionable. 7. Functions of clothing will be very personal. 8. The reuse of clothes will be important (prolonged life cycle).

8. DISADVANTAGES
1. Equipment can be heavy. 2. Expensive. 3. Some Wearable Computers can consist of a lot of wiring. 4. Can cause irritation in heat. 5. Side-Effects such as Headaches. 6. It may become easier to get data on an individual if the item is lost / stolen.

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9. CONCLUSION
People are carrying more and more electronic products: mobile Phones, Personal hi-fis etc. Smart clothing is a combination of electronics and clothingtextiles. These intelligent clothes are worn like ordinary clothing and will help in various situations according to the designed application. A piece of clothing works and helps actively to carry out a mission such as drying. A piece of clothing usually dries hanging, it requires a certain time to dry, so this means a passive drying. Active drying can be accomplished with humidity sensor which notices humidity growing up and puts heating on. Therefore dissipating of water is more effective. Active characters of smart clothing can be heating, Cooling, changing of colour and active drying. Computerized Clothes will be the next step in making computers and devices portable without having to strap electronic gadgets onto our bodies. The intimate nature of clothing is that it is always with us and that we select accord, suggests a new trend or 'smartness' on people. 10. REFERENCES www.media.mit.edu/wearables www.wearcam.org/personaltechnologies www.howstuffworks.com/computerclothing.htm www.wearcomp.org/wearcompdif.html www.redwoodhouse.com/wearable

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