Fundamentals of IoT and Wearable Technology Design. Haider Raad

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Figure 1.6 Steve Mann wearing one of his wireless wearable webcam.

      Source: Glogger, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SteveMann_with_Generation‐4_Glass_1999.jpg. Licensed Under CC BY‐SA 3.0.

In 2003, the Garmin Forerunner, a watch that tracks the user's performance, emerged which was immediately followed by popular fitness trackers we all know today such as the Nike+, Jawbone, and Fitbit.

      Toward the end of 2000s, several Chinese companies started producing Global System for Mobile (GSM) phones integrated within wristbands and equipped with mini displays. On the other hand, the first smart watch, Pebble, came to the scene in 2012, followed by the much‐hyped Apple Watch in 2014.

      Future wearables may enable new functions and services that one could barely imagine, but it is clear to see how early wearables evolved into the fascinating devices we enjoy today.

      1.1.4.1 The Wearables We Know Today

One of the most publicized wearables today is the Apple Watch. The watch incorporates activity and health tracking capabilities with other Apple applications. The primary goal of the Apple Watch was to improve the way users interact with their iPhones and introduce extra convenience (Figure 1.7). The birth of the Watch began when Kevin Lynch was recruited by Apple to create a wearable technology for the wrist. He said: “People are carrying their phones with them and looking at the screen so much. People want that level of engagement. But how do we provide it in a way that's a little more human, a little more in the moment when you're with somebody?”.

Resonating with today's technological advancement, modern consumers take an active role in utilizing wearables to track and record data of their active lifestyles. Nowadays, wearable fitness and health trackers are capable of monitoring the user's biometric data including heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, calories, and sleep patterns.

Figure 1.7 The Apple watch.

      Source: Photo courtesy of Apple Inc.

Another hot wearable, Fitbit, is capable of measuring personal fitness metrics such as the number of steps walked or climbed, heart rate, sleep patterns, and even stress levels (Figure 1.8).

      On the other hand, many argue that the most innovative wearable device of the decade is the Google Glass, which is fundamentally a pair of glasses equipped with a built‐in microprocessor and a bundle of peripherals such as a mini display embodies by a 640 × 360 pixels prism projector that beams out a viewing screen into the user's right eye, a gesture control pad, a camera, and a microphone. The Glass runs a specially designed operating system (Glass OS) and has 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of flash storage, in addition to a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a light sensor. Through such peripherals, the user could connect to his/her smartphone, access mobile Internet browser, camera, maps, and other apps by voice commands. It accesses the phone through Wi‐Fi and Bluetooth which are enabled by the wireless service of the user's mobile phone.

Figure 1.8 Fitbit Surge smart watch fitness tracker.

      Source: Photo courtesy of Fitbit©.

Google released the consumer version of Glass in 2013 amid much fanfare, but it failed to gain commercial success. The Glass also faced serious criticism due to concerns that its use could violate current privacy laws. In 2017, Google launched the Glass Enterprise Edition after deciding that the Glass was better suited to workers who need hands‐free access to information, such as in health care, manufacturing, and logistics. In 2019, Google has announced a new version of its Enterprise Edition which has an improved processor, camera, charging unit, and various other updates.

      One can imagine a considerable number of applications this technology is capable of creating. In fact, the Glass is already being utilized in a number of areas once considered “futuristic.” For example, Augmedix, a San Francisco based company, developed a Glass app that allows physicians to livestream the patient visit. The company claims that electronic health record problems will be eliminated, and their system would possibly save doctors up to 15 hours a week.

      In 2013, Rafael Grossmann was the first surgeon to demonstrate the use of Google Glass during a live surgical procedure. In the same year, the Glass was used by an Ohio State University surgeon to consult with another colleague, remotely.

      Obviously, such technology could have a positive impact on the lives of people with disabilities. For example, one application is designed to enable parents to swiftly access sign language dictionary through voice commands in order to communicate effectively with their deaf children.

Figure 1.9 Explorer edition of Google Glass©.

      Source: Photo courtesy of Google Inc.

Using a smart glass technology in the tourism and leisure industry, the experience of tourists could be substantially improved. Attractions and museum tours can be immensely enhanced by displaying text or providing audible information when recognizable buildings, sculptures, and artwork are detected. Users will also be able to capture photographs and videos more conveniently, i.e. via voice command or a wink of an eye. Another helpful application dedicated to break the language barriers when traveling provides instantaneous translation. Any text visible to the Glass field of view can be translated via voice commands (Figure 1.9).

      Boeing is using the Glass to help their assembly crew in the connecting aircraft wire harnesses, which is a very lengthy process that requires a high volume of paperwork. The crew now could have a hands‐free access to the needed information using voice commands.

      Stanford University is conducting a breakthrough research dedicated to help autism patients read the emotions of others using the Glass by utilizing facial recognition software to determine the emotions expressed on the people's faces projected within the display.

In 2014, Novartis and Google X (now X)⁵ started the testing of a smart contact lens in the field of telehealth.⁶ The lens is equipped with a miniaturized glucose sensor that continuously tracks blood sugar levels СКАЧАТЬ