Computer Clothing Seminar Report
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Wearable computer comprises of a computer built within an ordinary
clothing. 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, the apparatus can function as
a personal safety device for reducing crime, as well as personal health monitor for
improving health care by encouraging individuals to take an active role in diagnosis
and body maintenance. The ‘wearable computer’ apparatus is embedded within
nontransparent clothing which provides shielding. Electronic circuits are built
entirely out of textiles to distribute data and power and perform touch sensing.
These circuits are passive components sewn from conductive yarns as well as
conventional components to create interactive electronic devices, such as musical
keyboards and graphic input surfaces.
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Chapter 2
DISCUSSION
OPERATIONAL MODES
There are three operational modes in this new interaction between human
and computer.
Constancy : The computer runs continuously, and is “ always ready to interact
with the user. Unlike hand-held device, laptop computer, or PDA, it does not need
to be opened up and turned on prior to use. The signal flow from human to
computer, and 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
the computing. Thus the computer should serve to augment the intellect, or
augment the senses.
Mediation: Unlike hand held devices, laptop computers, and PDAs, the wearable
computer can encapsulate us. It doesn’t necessarily need to completely enclose us,
but the concept allows for a greater degree of encapsulation than traditional
portable computers. There are two aspects to this encapsulation:
Solitude: It can function as an information filter, and allow us to block out
material we might not wish to experience, whether it be offensive advertising, or
simply a desire to replace existing media with different media. In less severe
manifestations, it may simply allow us to alter our perception of reality in a very
mild sort of way.
Privacy: Mediation allows us to block or modify information leaving the
encapsulated space. In the same way that ordinary clothing prevents others from
seeing our naked bodies, the wearable computer may , for example, serve as an
intermediary for interacting with untrusted systems, such as third party digital
anonymous cash “cyber wallets” .
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ATTRIBUTES
There are six informational 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 human’s point of view:
UNMONOPOLIZING of the user’s attention: it does not cut you off from
the outside world like a virtual reality game or the like. You can attend to other
matters while using the apparatus. It is built with the assumption that computing will
be secondary activity, rather than a primary focus of attention. In fact, ideally, it
will provide enhanced sensory capabilities. It may , however , mediate (augment , alter,
or deliberately diminish) the sensory capabilities.
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 limitations (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: Responsive. 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
(example: “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. Infinitely-often-controllable: the constancy of
user-interface results from almost-always observability and infinitely-often
controllability in the sense that there is always a potential for manual override
which need not be always exercised.
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ATTENTIVE to the environment: Environmentally aware, multimodal,
multisensory.(As a result this ultimately gives the user increased situational
awareness).
COMMUNICATIVE to others: Can be used as a communications medium
when you want it to. Expressive: allows the wearable to be expressive through the
medium, whether as a direct communications medium to others, or as means of
assisting the production of expressive media (artistic or otherwise).
Followed by the above six properties is that it must also be:
CONSTANT: Always ready. May have “sleep modes” but never “dead”. Unlike a
laptop computer which must be opened up, switched on, and booted up before use,
it is always on and always running.
PERSONAL: Human and computer are inextricably intertwined.
PROSTHETIC: You can adapt to it so that it acts as a true extension of mind
and body; after time you forget that you are wearing it.
ASSERTIVE: can have barrier to prohibition or to requests by others for
removal during times when you wish such a barrier. This is contrast to laptop
computer in briefcase or bag that could be separated from you by a “please give
all bags and briefcases at the counter” policy of a department store, library, or
similar establishment.
PRIVATE: others can’t observe or control it unless you let them. Others can’t
determine system status unless you want them to, e.g. clerk at refund counter in
department store where photography is prohibited can’t tell whether or not you are
transmitting wireless video to a spouse for remote advice, in contrast to camcorder
technology where it is obvious you are taking a picture when you hold it up to
your eye.
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EXISTENTIAL TECHNOLOGY
Existential technology means the computer is controlled by the wearer.
This control need not require continuous thought, but the locus of control must be
such that it is entirely within the wearer’s domain. The user must also potentially
know the functionality of the apparatus. Furthermore, the apparatus provides the
wearer with the ability to make its operation secure and completely private when
desired. In addition to the obvious privacy afforded and eudaemonic nature, the
output can be made private when desired by.
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Chapter 3
WORKING
LEAVING THE DIGITAL FABRIC
As with all clothes computerized apparel starts with the proper thread.
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 fibers that make it conductive to electricity. The first fiber is an ordinary silk
thread , running in the opposite direction of the fiber is 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. Copper is a very good conductor of electricity and some
microprocessor manufactures are beginning to use copper to speed up
microprocessors.
The metallic yarn is prepared just like cloth core telephone wire,
according to the MIT researchers. If you cut open a coiled telephone cable, there’s
usually a conductor that is made out of a sheet of copper wrapped round a core of
nylon or polyester threads. These metallic yarn can withstand high temperatures, the
yarn can be sewn or embroidered using industrial machinery. This property makes
it very promising for mass producing computerized clothing.
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Silk Organza
A strip of the fabric would basically function like a ribbon of cable.
Ribbon cables are used in computers to connect disk drives to controllers. One
problem with using silk organza would result if the circuits were to touch each
other, therefore MIT scientists use an insulating material to coat or support the
fabric.
Once the fabric is cut into suitable shape, other components need to be
attached to the fabric, like resistors, capacitors and coils. These components are
directly sewn to the fabric. Additional components such as LED’s, crystals, piezo
transducers, other surface mount components, if needed, are soldered directly onto
the metallic yarn which the developers say is an easy process. Other electronic
devices can be snapped into the fabric by using some kind of gripper snaps, which
pierce the yarn to create an electrical contact. These devices can then easily
removed in order to clean the fabric.
At Georgia Tech, researchers have developed another kind of thread to
make smart clothes. Their smart shirt, which we will look at the next section, is
made of plastic optical fibers and other specialty fibers woven into the fabric.
These optical and electrical conductive fibers will allow the shirt to wirelessly
communicate with the other devices, transferring data from the sensors embedded in
the shirt.
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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.
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 calender and planning programs can be run
on a wearable computer.
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.
DISPLAY: A major part of the total cost of the wearable computer system lies in
its display unit. VGA display tend to increase the cost of the system to very high
extend. So in design of cheaper models, NTSC resolution is used. This normally is
too low to display VGA image. There are very good vedio camera viewfinders
that can display 24 text, on 80 characters each. While many of the modern LCD
viewfinders are not capable to display 24 text, there are a good many older black
and white viewfinders that can display a 24 text and clear 80*24 screen, and many
can be had for $10 or less.
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One of the commonly used display nowadays is the personal monitor.
The personal monitor before is unique eyeglass mounted display that creates a high
resolution color image in the user’s eyesight. The PM presents a video image
equivalent to a screen from 6.5 feet distance. The image covers only 5% of the
vision and allows to see the surrounding also. The PM is easy to use, it can be
plugged into the video and power in seconds and appear on the ultra lightweight
display.
FEATURES
High resolution color video image
Image that appears in the person’s line of sight
Viewing angle comparable to viewing a 26” monitor from 2 meters (6.5
feet) away
Ultra light-weight, no major disturbance in the eyesight
The personal monitor projects a high resolution color video image that
appears in the person’s line of sight in a viewing angle comparable to viewing a
26” 0r from 2 meters away. The video image is see around, it covers only the
area in which the image appears, otherwise users are free to view the surrounding
environment. Personal monitor provides an added convenience by maintaining the
image the wearer is looking. While the PM provides a constantly available image
in the person’s line of sight, it enables to maintain focus and attention it keeps the
integrity of the corresponding environment. The advantage will be immediate in
decreased processing time and increased precision. The personal monitor is a
monoscopic biocular display with completely narrow field of view. The personal
monitor can receive video signals from any source. The signals are converted in
the controller unit into signals driving the electronics of the LCD display. The PM
takes standard video signals and displays them on TFT LCD display that can be
connected to any video source.
The PM consists of a monitor block, eye glasses, cable and controller
box. The monitor block contains the display, a back light and its driver for the
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LCD and the lenses and mirrors that projects the display image into the retina of
the eyes. Light beams coming from the display are reflected in two directions by
the dividing mirrors placed in front of the display.
The monitor block has a mounting slot that fits into the vertical
nosepiece of the eyeglasses. The controller box contains the video input modulator
unit and the driving electronics of the LCD display. The LCD directs the display,
control signals are send through a flexible shielded cabled to the display. The
glasses have adjustable temple pieces and each unit comes with a commercially
available 9 volt AC-DC adaptor.
KEY BOARD
If you are going on the cheap, a collection of pushbutton micro switches
are used as keyboards. 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 if you see a “BAT” KEYBOARD. 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.
HARD DRIVE
Many hard drives commonly used in laptop computers can withstand
operational shock, it is common to go jogging while editing, and sometimes shoot
momentary video while on horse back or riding a mountain bike down the center
of a line bumping over every railway tie, and capturing the experience on a hard
drive. It is possible to carry enormous amount of hard drive space on your body.
Prof Martin has 36GB of hard drive installed in his wear. One of his waist bag
systems contain 2GB of hard drive space and 512MB of RAM.
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BATTERIES OF WEARCOMP
Low cost batteries
Early versions of wear comp used lead acid batteries. Later versions
used Li-Ion camcorder batteries. Lead acid batteries are typically available surplus.
For constant application you will want to obtain at least two 12 Volt batteries.
High performance batteries
Li-Ion camcorder batteries are commercially available. A minimum of two
batteries is required for constant running 12Volt batteries
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 WearComp require different
voltages. .
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Chapter 4
APPLICATION
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 wearcomp 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, toilets, 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.
Mediated/augmented reality: - It is the ability of the computer to offer
enhanced presentations of reality to the user. The application of the augmented
reality lies in adding to your perceptual field. To aid in repairing a broken
photocopier, an overlay of the internal structure of the photocopier can be put in
the repairing person’s visual field, and thus can help him in his work.
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.
It is closely related to Blind Vision expect for the fact that the transmitted signals
are internal and they are relayed on to an external source.
ENGear :- Electronics News Gathering Wearable System introduces the sense of
community and implies the existance of a group to which the user might want to
offer his/her sensory impressions.
Blind Vision :- It is a personalized radar system that is integrated in close-fitting
vest which is able to process object in the vicinity of the wearer is a benefit for
visually impaired persons. Returned waves from the said object are transformed by
the wearable computer and send over to the vest, which sends electric stimuli to the
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wearer. Closer objects exhibit “stronger pressure” via stronger current, while object
further away accordingly output milder current. Any cyclist, motorcyclist or
professional who has to work on the open environment would appreciate this
invention.
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.
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.
Smart cards and badges :- WearCam is a simple apparatus for effortless capture
, display, processing and transmission of visual imagery. WearCam 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 begin 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 WearCam is in personal documentary. The question of privacy is often
raised with respect to WearCam. 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 WearCam nobody will know whether
or not a particular person is wearing a camera, as the present (and future) units are
so small that they cannot be detected.
Homographic modeling :- The flow field of a rigid planar patch in the scene is
tracked, and virtual objects are inserted. In this way a virtual “Post-It” note may be
left on any flat surface will be seen only by the recipient trough WearCam.
Safety net :- A further improvement to the personal safety device includes the use
of biosensors where the quotient of heart rate divided by foot step rate. Suppose
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that someone were to draw a gun and demand cash from the wearer. The likely
scenario is that the wearer’s hear rate would increase without an increase in the
foot step rate to explain it. Such an occurrence would be programmed to trigger
“may be I’m in distress” message to other members of the personal safety network.
Sensors, which measure heart rate (and waveform), respiration, footstep rate (and
waveform), and even carry the entire medical history.
Wearcomp allows playing music to be “disappear” into clothing and be integrated
in a more natural manner.
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Chapter 5
TRENDS
TOMORROW’S E-WARDROBE
The development of digital yarn opens up the opportunity for an entire
computerized clothing industry. In the next decade, we will likely to see the wide
range of apparel enter the consumer market. Several companies are already
exploring the ability of putting us in the designer computerized clothing, including
Levi, Philips, Nike and Sensa Tex. In Europe, Levi has already tested marketing
the musical jacket developed by MIT Media Lab.
Levi’s musical jacket is made with the silk organza and is controlled
with fabric capacitive key board. This keyboard has been mass-produced using
ordinary embroidery techniques and conductive thread. The keypad is flexible,
durable, and sensitive to touch. A printed circuit is used to give the keypad a
sensing ability, so that control reacts when pressed. The keypad can sense touch
due to the increase in capacitance of the electrode, when touched. The keypads are
connected to miniature synthesizer that plays music. Power could be supplied by a
parasitic power source as solar power, wind, temperature or mechanical energy
from turning wrists or leg. Further out researchers are looking for fabrics capable
of generating power.
Another all-fabric keyboard being developed by the MIT Media Lab uses
conductive material sewn together in a row and column addressable structure. The
final product looks like a quilt that has been pieced together in a square form. The
quilted conductive columns are insulated and form the conductive rows with thick
fabric like felt or velvet. Holes in the insulating fabric allow the row and column
conductors to make contact when a user presses down on the keyboard. Shirts and
other clothes using this keyboard can be thrown in the washing machine just like
an ordinary piece of clothing.
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While the musical jacket is an example for how computerized clothes are
used for entertainment, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have
developed a practical and medical purpose for this technology. The smart shirt can
monitor heart and breathing rates by using optical and electric conductive fibers
that are sewn into the fabric of the shirt.
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 pinpoint the location of the bullet penetration, a light signal is continually be
sent from one end of the optical fiber to a receiver on the other end. This fiber 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.
Smart Shirt
MAN POWERED WEARCOMP
Batteries add size, weight, and inconvenience to present-day mobile
technology. Thus wearcomp technology explores the possibility of harnessing the
energy expended during wearer’s everyday actions to generate power for his or her
computer, thus eliminating the use of batteries. An analysis of power generation
through leg motion is generated in depth and a survey of other methods such as
generation by breath or blood pressure, body heat, and finger and limb motion is
also presented.
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Wearable computer is an effort to make computers truly part of our day
lives by embedding them into our clothing or creating form factors that can be
used like clothing. This level of access to computation will revolutionize how
computers are used. Although the computational hardware has been reduced in size
to accommodate this vision, power systems are still bulky and inconvenient. Even
today’s PDAs ( personal digital assistants ) are often limited by battery capacity,
current and the necessity of having an electrical outlet within easy access
computing, However, if energy can be generated by the user’s actions, these
problems can be alleviated.
At this point, a review of vocabulary and units is in order. Energy is
used as the capacity to do the work. A joule is the product of a force of one
Newton acting at a distance of one meter. The calorie, which is 4.19 joules, is
also often used as a unit of energy. However, in dietary circles, a Calorie refers to
a kilocalorie or 1000 joules. Therefore an average adult diet of 2500 Calories
translates to 10.5 mega joules.
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CONCLUSION
People are carrying more and more electronic products: mobile phones,
personal hi-fis etc. Smart clothing is a combination of electronics and clothing textiles.
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 color and active
drying. The intimate nature of clothing is that it is always with us and that we
select it of our own accord, suggests a new trend or ‘smartness’ on people.
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REFERENCES
Steve Mann. Wearable computing: A first step toward personal imaging I
EEE Computer, Feb 1997
Joseph Hoshen, Jim Sennot .Keeping tabs on criminals I EEE SPECTRUM,
Feb 1995
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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