Wearable Computing - MIThril

1. Wearable Computing- MIThril Dong, Shiming dong@cs.uga.edu Department of Computer Science University of Georgia http://webster.cs.uga.edu/~dong/wearable.ppt

2. Contents • Background • Introduction to MIThril • MIThril overview • MIThril projects • Memory Glasses Project • Context Aware Cell Phone Project • Wild Idea • wearable computing products

3. What’s a Wearable? • A person’s computer should be worn. • Interactive with the user based on the context of the situation. • Act as an intelligent assistant.

4. What is MIThril? • The next generation research platform for context aware wearable computing. • Developed by researchers at the MIT Media Lab. • Goal: develop and prototype new techniques of HCI for body-worn applications.

6. MIThril project overview • Vision • Hardware • Software

7. The MIThril Vision • People vs. Users • starts with “people”, not “users”. • Support people in their daily lives. • Build technology that is: reliable, comfortable, useful and makes max use of time and user’s attention. • Good HCI • Context Awareness

8. Hardware • Body-worn computing • sensing • networking

9. Hardware • Computing Cores • Linux-based single-board computers • BSEV, CerfBoard • special purpose wireless bridge • light-weight microcontroller-based data-gathering unit • SAK board

10. MIThril network and body bus • connect computing cores to each other, wireless bridge, and peripherals and sensors. • Provide a reliable single-cable power/data connection between each device on the body • sensors and peripherals • IR Active tag reader, microphone and headphone driver and so on.

12. Software • Include FPGA code, Linux OS/driver code UI code, sensing/signal processing machine learning code, and prototype applications.

13. MIThril photos

14. The Memory Glasses Project • Goal: • produce an effective short-term memory aid and reminder system. • Require a minimum of the wearer’s attention • Problem of the Context Blind System: The need for effective logistical and memory aid is on the rise.

15. The Memory Glasses Project • Solution: • Provide a proactive, context-aware memory aid. • Applications: • substantively Unimpaired Wearers • Normal older people • Amnesia patients • Agnosia Patients • Patients with other disorders

16. The Context Aware Cell Phone Project • Problems: • A cell phone depends completely on the user to manage its state. • Solution: • Build a phone that could determine the user’s circumstances or context. • Automatically change the behavior according to the information

17. The Context Aware Cell Phone Project • Sensors: • GPS receiver • Precision three-axis accelerometer • IR tag reader • Microphone

18. Wild Idea • Spectral Camera • A camera that can record full spectra across its field of view rather than red, green and blue. • Problems: • Creating separate filters for more than a hundred spectral bins is very painful.

19. Wild Idea • Projector Project • Problems: • Heads-up displays only work for the person wearing them not a group of people. • Solutions: • Mount a steerable laser on the borg, and to paint vector drawing on flat surface. • However… Small steerable lasers aren’t easy to come by.

20. Wild Idea • Leopold Project • Goal: • To determine the wearers hand and feet positions. • Solution: • Connect the wearable to position sensors and accelerometers.

21. Commercial Wearable Products • MicroOptical Corp • VIA Inc. • Xybernaut

22. MicroOptical Corp • Model AV-1, qVGA ASCII Viewer (320x240pixels) • Goals: • Integrates a head mounted quarter microdisplay with a compact electronics module for the purpose of displaying character-based information to the user. • Applications: • Wearable computers. • Desktop computers.

24. MicroOptical Corp • Model CV-1, qVGA Color Video Viewer (320x240 pixels) • Goal: • Designed to attach to ordinary eyeglasses and provides a 16-Bit color image of a video screen floating in space in front of the user. • Applications: • DVD player • Television • Infrared Cameras

27. ViA Inc. • Via || PC • Gives users the full-function power of a laptop in a convenient hands-free format. • Adding peripherals such as a hand-held display, wireless LAN, GPS, cellular phone or a video camera.

28. 1. Power Controls 2. Comfort Flex Point 3. Battery Connector 4. PC Card Slot Access 5. Integrated Heat Sink 6A. Serial Port 6B. USB Port 7. External Power Connector 8. Operator Interface size: 24.8cm*7.6cm*3.2cm

29. ViA Inc. • VGA Display • A high-resolution, color pen tablet for outdoor use with the ViA II PC. • Applications: • surveying, inspection, maintenance and the military.

30. Sunlight readable display • Indoor readable display • size: 15.8cm*25.2cm*1.1cm

31. Xybernaut • Poma • Gives you instant, seamless access to everything you need—e-mail accounts, attachments, Internet sites and games. • Built for optimum comfort and functionality.

32. -- CPU--Head Mounted Display -- pointing device

33. Xybernaut • Xyberkids • Provides instant access to computing. • Includes a backpack, powerful speakers and an all-light readable flat panel display. • Flexibility: communication and computing function.

34. Mobile assistant V ---- (contain ports) -- Back pack for storage Digital Flat Panel Display

36. Reference Websites • http://www.cc.gatech.edu/fac/Thad.Starner/ • http://www.media.mit.edu/wearables/index.html • http://www.microopticalcorp.com/ • http://www.flexipc.com/ • http://www.xybernaut.com/newxybernaut/home.htm