September 23, 2002
Researchers mesh technology with life at conference on wearable computing
Computer scientists from around the world will gather at the University of Washington in Seattle next month to discuss, debate and disseminate information about the latest in designer wear.
Or maybe that should be “ware.”
It’s most accurately a little of both, according to Mark Billinghurst, director of the Human Interface Technology Laboratory in New Zealand and chairman of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2002 International Symposium on Wearable Computers. The participants will explore the newest ideas for incorporating computers into people’s everyday lives by combining them with items that are already an integral part of our personalities — our clothing.
“When the computer becomes body wear, it entirely changes the traditional metaphors,” Billinghurst said. “The possibilities it opens up are a radical departure from what people usually think of in terms of a mouse, a keyboard and a monitor.”
The symposium will be Oct. 7-10 in the Husky Union Building on the UW campus. Highlights include a fashion show featuring professional models sporting wearable technology, a demonstration session where attendees can try out the latest innovations and a gadget show, where researchers will informally share their “coolest” new devices.
To get a vision of what wearable computing could mean, Billinghurst says to think of how the cell phone and the PDA, or personal digital assistant, have changed the way we conduct both our business and personal lives. Then take those thoughts a few steps further.
Think body sensors, glasses and other devices that overlay graphics onto a user’s view of the real world, audible prompts, instant communications and access to information, and wireless connections that are always on, linking individuals to one another according to their likes and dislikes. Then put it in a wash-and-wear garment that you simply slip on in the morning.
More specifically, imagine a jacket with an built-in MP3 player and a wireless Internet link. Wearers could automatically connect with other people on the street who share similar musical interests, swap playlists and enlarge their circle of acquaintances.
On a more pragmatic note, members of an always-on, always-connected wireless community could share tasks like shopping via computerized apparel that tracks schedules and routines, then matches needs with opportunities. Say, for example, you need a loaf of bread for dinner. Your computer might find a “wired” friend who is going by the store and could conveniently pick it up, then suggest a trade of favors. Alternatively, if you arrive at the store and realize you don’t know what brand of peanut butter your spouse wants, you could link via live video and ask.
Commuters could have instant access to highway conditions via wearable links to Internet-based traffic congestion monitoring systems like those already available in the Seattle area. A commuter could identify bottlenecks down the road, then map alternate routes and access mass transit schedules to find the best option, such as taking a bus or a train rather than driving.
While the more involved scenarios will take time to achieve, the movement toward a more intimately wired society is natural, said Suzanne Weghorst, research director at the UW’s Human Interface Technology Laboratory.
Currently, when humans interact with computers, that interaction is itself the main task. Wearable computers change the focus. The technology becomes less visible. “The idea is to enhance interaction with the real world and assist in performing real-world tasks,” she said.
Billinghurst agrees.
“Wearable computing is inevitable,” he said. “Over the last decade, we’ve seen computers migrate from the desk side to the desk top, then to the lap and to the hand. It won’t be long before the computing power of today’s handhelds will be embedded in clothing. And, once computers become as intimate as clothing, a wide range of interesting and life-transforming applications become possible.”
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For more information, contact Billinghurst at grof@hitl.washington.edu or Weghorst at (206) 616-1487 or weghorst@u.washington.edu. Members of the news media who wish to cover the conference should contact Rob Harrill at (206) 543-2580 or rharrill@u.washington.edu to arrange for a press credential. Journalists should note that flash photography will not be permitted during scholarly presentations.
Additional information about the conference schedule can be found on the International Symposium on Wearable Computer 2002 Web site at http://iswc.tinmith.net/
