Brief wearables overview

1. Wearable Technology
Intro to topic

2. So.. What is it?
Wearable technology, wearables, fashionable technology, wearable devices,
tech togs, or fashion electronics are clothing and accessories incorporating
computer and advanced electronic technologies.
The designs often incorporate practical functions and features, but may also
have a purely critical or aesthetic agenda – like in fashion or as pieces of art.

3. History
Wearable technology is related to both the field of ubiquitous computing and
the history and development of wearable computers.
Wearable technology has the vision of interweaving technology into the
everyday life, of making technology pervasive and interaction friction less.
Through the history and development of wearable computing, this vision has
been both contrasted and affirmed. Affirmed through the multiple projects
directed at either enhancing or extending functionality of clothing, and as
contrast, most notably through Steve Mann's concept of sousveillance. The
history of wearable technology is influenced by both of these responses to the
vision of ubiquitous computing.

4. Early
wearables. I
mean early.
Like this 17th century
wearable abacus ring
from China.

5. Or this, the first ever
GoPro from 1907.

6. The first actual wearable
computer was created in
1961 – inside a shoe.

7. The predecessor of what
we know as modern day
wearables could most
likely be calculator
watches (remember
Casio!) from the 1980s.

8. Video Time!
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UipJ5CbFFf0

9. Areas of use
• Healthcare
• Art and design
• Fashion design and clothing
• Wearable computers (smart watches, Google Glass)
• Manufacturing (augmented reality headgear)
• Military
• Mixed reality, augmented reality (gaming, everyday use for leisure or work)
• Office wearables (how productive are your employees really?)
• … and tons of other areas yet to be explored for everyday use.

10. ..what next?
• I think wearables will get really popular and then disappear entirely.
Because I think the next step after wearables is implantables. Why strap
something every morning on when you can just insert it and forget it?