Wireless Wearables—Where's the technology headed?

摘要

The military's investing, industry's watching, and before long it could be what you put on in the morning. About 20 years ago, computer science grad students began to stumble out of the lab and onto the streets and trade show floors—wearing their experiments. They looked like Robocop. Or the Borg. Now the rest of us are beginning to wake up to the impact wearable technology will have on human-computer interaction. Companies such as Wherify Wireless are incorporating GPS sensors into wrist-worn devices that can track a child's location anywhere in the country. Xybernaut and others are using RF-based wearable units that help airlines maintain their aircraft more swiftly and efficiently (a vital function given the woeful state of the airline industry's finances). Many companies with warehouse operations are increasingly taking advantage of voice-based wearable systems with headset microphones to improve the productivity of their pick-and-pack and inventory control employees. In this article we will offer a definition of wearable computing, discuss the near- and longer-term market opportunities for the technology, and conclude with a brief look at "smart fabrics" and the sensors that give them their smarts. They are going to change the way we live, work, and have fun.