Digit FT to Wearables Issue 11 Vol 10 November 2015

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 11

YOUR HANDY GUIDE TO EVERYDAY TECHNOLOGY

A 9.9 Media Publication

WEARABLES

Free W

ith D

igit Nove

mb

er 2015

NO

VE

MB

ER

2015

11

To

A BRAVE NEW WORLD THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES INTERACTION REDEFINED THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES LETS TALK DEVICES GETTING HANDS ON WITH WEARABLES WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

WEARABLES

WEARABLES

FASTTRACK

to

p o w e r e d b y

CHAPTERS

EDITORIAL

Executive Editor Robert Sovereign-Smith

Managing Editor Siddharth Parwatay

Technical Editor Jayesh Shinde

WritersAnshumala Balu Ashish Panigrahi

Dhinoj Dings Elroy Desmond Nikhil Punjabi

Copy EditingInfancia Cardozo

DESIGNCreative Director Tharakaram G

Sr. Art Director Anil VK

Associate Art Director Anil T

Sr. Visualisers Shigil Narayanan Sristi Maurya

VisualiserBaiju NV

Sr. DesignerPradeep G Nair

CREDITS

The

peo

ple

behi

nd t

his

book

A brave new worldTechnology gadgets are entering an exciting evolutionary curve

The evolution of wearablesIn the last chapter we gave you a small glimpse into the history of

wearable technology. Heres the whole story.

Interaction redefinedThe growth of wearables presents some very interesting

opportunities to design new interfaces. Heres how youll talk to

your wearables.

The war of the wearablesAnalysing the current trend in wearables leads us to some unique

revelations like their role in the enterprise space

WEARABLES NOVEMBER 2015

06PAGE

18PAGE

32PAGE

44PAGE

3CONTENTS

9.9 Mediaworx Pvt. Ltd.Published by 9.9 MediaworxNo part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

November 2015Free with Digit. If you have paid to buy this Fast Track from any source other than 9.9 Mediaworx Pvt. Ltd., please write [email protected] with details

Custom publishingIf you want us to create a customised Fast Track for you in order to demystify technology for your community, employees or students contact [email protected]

WEARABLES NOVEMBER 2015

72PAGE

54PAGE

Lets talk devicesBy showcasing the multitude of devices out there, well help you

select the right wearable for you

Getting hands on with wearablesCreating apps for wearables is much easier than you think.

What does the future hold?When we look at the future, we see the human-machine divide

disappearing. Will wearables be the catalyst in the dawn of that

future?

80PAGE

VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 11

YOUR HANDY GUIDE TO EVERYDAY TECHNOLOGY

A 9.9 Media Publication

WEARABLES

Free W

ith D

igit Nove

mb

er 2015

NO

VE

MB

ER

2015

11

To

A BRAVE NEW WORLD THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES INTERACTION REDEFINED THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES LETS TALK DEVICES GETTING HANDS ON WITH WEARABLES WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

WEARABLES

CO

VE

R D

ES

IGN

: AN

IL T

4 INTRODUCTION

Truly personal tech

Wearable technology has a lot of people talking. And

rightly so. We seem to be looking at the dawn of a new

era in tech that may reshape our lifestyles for the better.

From glasses that provide detailed contextual informa-

tion about our surroundings to accessories that collect data on our daily

actions and habits, the potential of wearable devices is limited only by

our imagination.

In this Fast Track, we take a broad look at wearable technology and how

it has evolved over the years into formidable category of its own. We will

delve into the history of wearables, from its humble beginnings as calcu-

lator watches to the high-powered smartwatches and VR headset that look

to change the way we interact with technology and the world around us.

Discover how Science Fiction ideas inspired engineers to develop

innovative UIs for humans to better interact with not just wearables but

technology on a whole. We discover how the smartwatches and fitness

bands grew in popularity and how a slew of companies decided that this

market was a ripe one in which entrepreneurs should invest. We also take

a look at recent trends in the wearable market and analyze the potential

for wearables as daily driver devices.

We also discuss the applications of these devices and whether they are

suited for todays average consumer. This is followed by a small chapter

that explains the challenges faced by developers of wearable tech and

potential fixes for them.

5INTRODUCTION

Finally, we discuss the what sort of future we have in store for us,

should this current trend of wearable technology see itself over the hump

of popularity it seems to be enjoying. Is it possible that this technology

becomes so ingrained in our daily lives, that we no longer look at wearables

devices as cumbersome electronics but instead see them as just an exten-

sion of our skin? We may have as well taken our first steps into becoming

real-world cyborgs.

6 CHAPTER #01

Wearable- An item that can be worn.

Wearable Technology- Electronics that can be worn on the body

The terms wearable technology, wearable devices, and weara-

bles refer to electronics; gadgets or computers that are integrated

into clothing or accessories that can comfortably be worn on the

body. These wearable machines can perform some of the same

computing tasks as mobile phones and laptop computers and in some cases,

wearable technology can surprisingly surpass these devices entirely. Wear-

able technology, these days, tends to be more sophisticated than hand-held

technology on the market as it can provide atypical sensory and scanning

features that are not seen in mobile or laptops, like biofeedback and the

tracking of such things as physiological function. Not to mention how

they come in handy, pocketable sizes. One of the major features of wear-

able technology is its ability to connect to the Internet, enabling data to be

exchanged between a network and the device.

Much has changed since Atanasoff and Berry invented the first computer,

the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer. Modern computers have

become smaller, more efficient, and more powerful while simultaneously

occupying much less space than ever before. Before ogling at the magnifi-

cent(?) Google Glass and looking forward to the future of wearable tech, let

Gadget evolution is truly exciting now

A BRAVE NEW WORLD

7A BRAVE NEW WORLD

us take a moment to look back at what it these geeky wearable devices that

our current generation is enjoying actually means for us.

We might be thinking James Bond or Minority Report, but the reality

is that weve been wearing technology for thousands of years- Armor,

Eyeglasses, and prosthetics are all examples of wearable tech. They are

extremely useful and everything, but theyre also steeped social symbolism.

They help us curate our identities offline by allowing us to establish our

normalcy and sense of community. For example, by putting on armor we

used to claim membership with a group and broadcast that to the general

public. We strengthen the ties of the group and enhance its overall fitness

through wearable technologies.

Wearable technology is usually thought of by the layman as dating back

before the 1900s but If we really want to get particular with it, in 1650,

Chinas Qing Dynasty invented the Abacus Ring, a miniscule example in

the history of wearable tech. the ring is a calculator that features a 1.2cm

long, 0.7cm wide abacus that sits on the finger. While the abacus ring may

not be able to make phone calls, it goes to show that wearable technology

might not be as radical a concept as one would think.

The Abacus Ring of yore

8 A BRAVE NEW WORLD

The first wearable watch, on the other hand, was worn in the 1500s as

is evident from records of Queen Elizabeth had a wristwatch in 1571.

But in the technical sense of the term wearable technology, glasses were

the first real wearables. Modern eyeglasses came about after 11th-century

scholars happen to come upon the fact that the written word could be mag-

nified by convex lenses. Those early observations led to affixing pieces of

shaped, polished glass, namely lenses into two small frames so that someone

with vision problems could have a chance to enhance or correct their sight.

The handheld, temple-less design persisted until around the 1700s and

eventually this initial design was discarded for the modern eyeglasses, the

achievement of technology, that we cannot live without today.

The latest trends in technology lean toward gadgets that are built to

augment and make our lives better. From the introduction of the Google

Glass in 2012, to the buildup surrounding the Apple Watch; sleek, featureful

devices that you can wear on your head (like a pair of glasses) or strap onto

your wrist have become all the rage in tech jewellery.

Even more exhilarating are second-skin devices such as those that one

can embed into the body, ingest and hear using. These may include new

technologies that blend

into the skin, devices that are controlled using eyeball-motion sensors

and ear wearables that measure and even respond to our heart rate and who

knows what not. All of these contribute as a parts of the continuing journey

to create technology that is so intertwined with our lives that it becomes

almost imperceptible. The end results of this transition are bound to be

better usability and genuinely groundbreaking technology.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of WearablesWith wearable technology, say hello to a time in which learning more about

yourself has become high-tech along with being real-time. From gadgets

and apps that help you track your heart and food consumption to devices

that are capable of monitoring your mood and even the surrounding air.

Now, the human body quantified, is a reality for the everyday person. We

can look forward to the time in the near future where we can learn about our

own health using our own self-tracking gadgets. Lets go as far as to imagine

using these very devices to quantify if our self-improvement endeavours

are actually paying off, all in real time.

One of the most critical elements of the adoption of new technology in

question is getting the users and consumers at hand to change their habits.

A BRAVE NEW WORLD 9A BRAVE NEW WORLD

Wearables present an interesting situation where the goal is to some drastic

enhancement in life experience for the consumer with as little behavioral

changes as possible.

How can I get more accomplished and also live a better, more satisfied

life style? is the question that is on the rounds and wearable technology

has been changing peoples lives for many decades, some people we may

know and simply havent realize it, like anyone who works in security

management, is hearing impaired or someone who wears a prosthetic (a

limb for example). In that way, the setting up of a wearable market where

we can buy enhancing machines and gadgets in a way identical to how

we buy mobile phones or clothing accessories, changes the criterion for

the personal aspect of computing and our living experiences in some

thrilling ways.

All of these possibilities will be facilitated by the Internet of things (IoT),

providing rich and invaluable connections among people, process, data,

and things. And this is just the beginning. As new technology continues

to seem to be smaller, cheaper, and more powerful than ever before, and as

the amount of interconnected devices on the planet grows in the upcoming

The age of the wearables is upon us and its an exciting time ahead for the evolution of tech-nology gadgets as we know it

10 A BRAVE NEW WORLD

decades, the true scale of possibilities may actually reach further than what

we imagine today.

Lets not forget that wearables face unique hindrances that will lead

them to have less of an immediate impact on the market as compared to

tablets or smartphones.

Especially since most of the devices, at the moment, need to be connected

with a smartphone or tablet for the utilization most of their functionality.

Another salient issue comes up when we talk about wearables. Privacy

campaigners have criticised that aspect of the technology, bringing to light

that surreptitious sound recordings and even footage can be uploaded

onto the cloud, that ending up being distributed and shared without the

persons knowledge and/or consent. Along with obvious privacy issues

relating to the general public, personalized information about the user of

these gadgets gives rise to more data protection issues. For instance, it is

known that certain health and fitness gadgets have GPS location features

and have the ability to capture a large quantity of data over time about

the users location, activity and even health. This personal data may then

be uploaded to the cloud and analysed by their technology provider. Of

course, this is fine if the technology provider is transparent about how all

the information is being utilized, shared and distributed, if at all the wearer

has given his or her pre informed consent about what is being done with

their data, and if the technology provider has put into place adequate and

sufficient security measures to safeguard it. Whether this is carried out in

practice is another matter entirely.

The more personal we get with our gadgets, the more information and

data we are capturing about ourselves and the more privacy we expect in

the long run.Of course, there are always those tech wearables that we have mixed feel-

ings about. Like Microsoft filing a new patent to completely revolutionize

the way that wearable devices send out signals or notifications to wearers.

Dubbed as wearable computer having a skin-stimulating interface, the

patents abstract went ahead and named things such as alarms, phone calls

and texts as some examples that people would literally be shocked about

by the device.

The MarketplaceThe year 2014 was hailed by many experts in technology as the Year of the

Wearable, hence reflecting an explosion of new wearable products with


huge electronic businesses competing on a level with newborn, crowd-

funded startups and a noticeably quick growth in its market compared

to previous years. All kinds of businesses, military forces and especially

medical professionals have been always been using this technology for years,

but the private consumer market place has only just started to feature items

such as smart glasses, smartwatches, hearables, fitness and health trackers

and even smart jewellery. The global market for wearables is expected to at

least reach to a value of 19 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, to easily cross more

than ten times of its value five years prior.

As of 2015, the most successful wearables on the market are, and are likely

to continue to be, those worn around the wrist, such as health and fitness

trackers and of course, smartwatches, which are surprisingly expected to

account for 9 in 10 of these gadgets bought globally. The among the most

important producers of smart watches are Samsung, Pebble, Fitbit, Apple,

Sony, Lenovo and LG. Although, the most successful fitness trackers so far

were produced by the likes of Nike, Fitbit and Jawbone.

As the wearable business is set to increases from $20 billion in 2015

to almost $70 billion in 2025, the dominant sector will be likely to remain

healthcare by which we mean a merge of medical, fitness and wellness. It is

seen to have the most number of big names like Apple, Accenture, Adidas,

Fujitsu, Nike, Philips, Reebok, Samsung, SAP and Roche spearheading the

most promising new developments.

Wrist Wearables are most successful so far


The Internet of ThingsOur traditional connection to the internet has undergone a radical change

over the last couple of decades. We have progressed from simple terminals

and desktop PCs to many different kinds of mobile devices such as laptops,

tablets and of course, mobile phones. These devices however, are connected

to us externally and are a sharp contrast to the wave of revolution that is

the advent of wearable technology. We will soon be equipped with a net-

work of wireless devices that possess the ability to communicate with no

interference from us humans. And so, gadgets including head mounted

displays and smartwatches are part of an array of technologies that will

revamp the way in which we communicate and share among ourselves

and the internet itself, ushering in The Internet of Things (IoT) becoming

a necessity rather than a luxury.

We can already track our exercise, monitor our heart rates and even

keep a track of the quality of our sleep. The wearables in question include

FItbit, Jawbone Up and the Nike Fuelband. These capabilities will grow in

the next few years, so much so that we can imagine a future in which well

be able to swallow a pill that can monitor our digestive function and send

intelligent and relevant information to doctors as the need arises and in the

context of what were doing at that point of time. Another example of the

uses of IoT would be a future in which expectant mothers will go around

wearing smart tattoos that lets them monitor the health and activity of the

babie(s) growing inside them and which are capable of alerting the doctor

early about the onset of labor.

As these wonderful devices get integrated into the large net that is The

Internet of Things, sharing of huge quantities of data generated by our

bodies, data related to the well being of physical and even mental state, our

mood, personal preferences and so on and so forth will become extremely

commonplace with health providers, retailers and businesses.

The question that now comes to mind is, how much longer do we have

to wait till we have this kind of connectivity in our homes? Imagine coming

home to your heart rate monitor unlocking the front door. Walk into your

living space to find a cool glass of water and the air conditioner already run-

ning at the optimum temperature, thanks to your smartband finding that

you were slightly dehydrated with a little higher body temperature than is

optimum. Even in retail, wearables and connectivity can be used for real

time data crunching to provide the best service while maximizing profits.

For example, Yelp provides a service which allows users to point their


phones in a direction in a particular locality and watch as their screen fills

up with options and locations of nearby restaurants along with user reviews.

Popular CategoriesHealth and FitnessMedical devices is a term that covers the variety of products that are gener-

ally worn on the body for a prolonged period of time and are able to capture

information about the patients physiological condition and then process

or calculate the correct medical procedure to be followed before obviously

notifying the patient.

The devices currently under development include vital sign monitors like

for the heart rate and respiratory rate. Apart from having a lot of medical

significance, these devices are also seen as having increasing roles in the

training and upkeep of athletes and general fitness enthusiasts.

As mentioned previously, developments in wearable medical devices

are also expected to enable remote monitoring, such that a patient does not

have to resort to reporting to the doctor in person or vice versa, they can be

monitored by the clinic while remaining comfortably at home while even

constantly reminding them to take their medication.

On the other hand, the most common fitness device connect to smart-

phones, tablets or laptops to track the users health status including such data

as BMI, blood alcohol level, heart rate and may even include a posture coach.

Another significant use of vital data tracking could be attachment of

small sensors in the body to follow the patients health records such as

ECG data, heart activity and breathing, allowing doctors to monitor their

patients without actually being present, all the need to do is regularly access

the information on their specialized cloud based portal.

A variation of sensors could be the ingestible kind which have the added

utility of being a quick, easy and cost effective way to provide real time data

of the efficacy of drugs and medication in the body.

Wrist WearablesA large chunk of health and fitness wearables are wrist wearables. Fitness

bands and other wearables have clearly been embraced enthusiastically

by the the current market that caters the the more health conscious, tech

savvy consumer. The commercial viability of the wearables like the Nike

Fuelband and the Fitbit is what experts would call the tip of the iceberg.

Fitness trackers come in varying degrees of sophistication apart from


varying in terms of shape and size themselves, but so far have usually been

bands and watches whos most common feature is make a count of how

many steps we take in a certain amount of time. The newest bands have the

additional features of continuous heart rate monitoring and calorific burn.

Smartwatches are mini-windows into your digital life at the turn of your

wrist. Apart from being able to tell the time, they can also show the user

their emails, messages and other aspects of their digital social life.

Head Mounted DisplaysHow does one deliver virtual information right to our eyes? Head mounted

displays are what well need. Some of them are designed to block out periph-

eral vision, i.e. the rest of the world. A computer generated virtual reality

could literally fool our brain into thinking its somewhere else entirely.

Oculus Rift is the big name in virtual reality although both Sony, with

its Project Morpheus, and HTCs Vive are causing much excitement.

Google Glass was released in 2013, the first product to combine voice

operation with a head mounted display. It also has hands free internet

Wearable techs fitness benefits are most popular among consumer


access and the ability to capture images. Although it was discontinued this

year but it deserves credit for bringing wearables into the general public

attention as opposed to just in specialized tech conferences.

In the meantime, Microsofts HoloLens is perhaps one of the most inter-

esting AR device. It has generated a lot of hype for Microsoft and company

CEO Satya Nadella has strongly backed the companys investment in the

technology. In May, Nadella told The New York Times that HoloLens was

one of the reasons Microsoft bought Mojang, the parent company of the hit

virtual world-building game Minecraft, for $2.5 billion.

Microsoft seems to be looking to fund projects that use HoloLens as a

business analytics tool, making large amounts of data easier to analyze and

use. Its also interested in research teams that can create useful applications

for medical training, design education, interactive journalism, psychology

applications, and workplace communication.

Smart ClothingSmart clothing is a broad term used for garments with electronic in a way

that would make them more interesting or fashionable. They would also

have additional functionality although the garment would appear essen-

tially the same.

WIll Head Mounted Displays really take off?


ImplantablesImplantables are devices that are surgically attached someplace under

your skin. They are a type of wearable that one would have no choice but

to carry around everywhere. They can be used for medical purposes like

as insulin pumps, contraceptives or some of us just might enjoy sticking

magnets to our fingertips.

The idea might sound a little bit futuristic and maybe even far fetched,

but in reality, ingestible sensors and implantable chips are already in use

and even growing.

Wearable RoboticsHow does one person carry loads that takes two people to lift? Upto 68 Kgs

even. The answer is wearable robotics. Wearable robotics lets us augment

and compensate for our natural abilities.

In the past, wearing prosthetics or wearable robotics has been stigmatized

but that is no longer true. It isnt just athletes wanting to be superhuman

using these high tech technology, its also the average Joe with a sense of

style and a preference among these new generation prosthetics. They are

stylish, sleek and designed for an all round high tech lifestyle.

Taking hearing as an example, a hearing aid is what would help a person

overcome a hearing deficiency. Wearing one in public would definitely mark

you somewhat unfairly as someone disabled.

Wearables will speed up the advent of Exoskeletons and even Prosthetics


Coming to the sense of sight on the other hand, Google Glass and Hololens

are at the forefront of new wearable technology capable of augmenting sight

but we would never think of these as being a form of prosthetic.

These wearables are also being used in rehab centers to help people

who need to recover from stroke or surgery. Initially, the development of

wearable robotics focused mainly on military and medical applications.

Is the wearable tech industry really the next big revolution, and all set

to boom in mainstream popularity, rather than fade away into tech-fad

obscurity? We certainly think so.

18 CHAPTER #02

THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES

From viewing computers as devices exclusively meant for high-

intensity computations to holding such computing powers in the

palm of your hand, the attitude towards computing devices has

changed in the past six decades or so. So much so that its common

enough these days to have devices with immense computational powers to

be worn as part of body attire-sometimes displacing ornaments and at other

times, complementing them. But wearables have a back story which goes

far back into the past-to centuries before Alan Turing conceived his Turing

machine which more or less laid the foundation for modern computers.

The story, when told in the narrative arc of wearables evolution is as

amusing as it is enlightening. Shedding light on not just the dominance

of human ingenuity down the ages but also the almost organic manner in

which one thing leads to the next, even when the next step in question is

highly removed from anything organic.

The first ever truly wearable tech product that man produced was the

humble eyeglasses. Though the identity of the inventor remains unknown,

In the last chapter we gave you a small glimpse into the history of wearable technology. Heres the whole story.

19THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES

its widely believed that the

invention was made the 13th

century in Venice. The earliest

users of the device were prob-

ably Christian monks since

during the period clergymen

and monks were the literate

class while lower classes

were limited to farming

activities and were generally

unlearned.

Glass blowing was an art

the Venetians were excelling during the time and reading glasses were a

result of the ingenious skills of the glass blowers who applied their acumen

to produce reading stones using solid glass. The evolution from these hand-

held single lens to the reading glasses set into bone or metal and balanced

on a monks nosebridge didnt take long. And in a painting by Tomasso

da Modena that the artist created in 1352, we have the very first artistic

representation of a pair of eyeglasses.

Time-keeping was an idea that was to revolutionise the way in which

humans engaged in wealth creating activities. The ability to mark time with

a high level of precision not only told employees when it was time to leave

work but also enabled employers to keep track of the amount of work done

The first time the world saw wearables was with a device of sight.

A time-keeping device ahead of its time

20 THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES

by an employee in a given unit of time. This scenario meant that during the

early years after time keeping was introduced, devices to accurately mark

time became important.

Of these, the Nuremberg Egg was one that the owner could wear around

the neck. A predecessor of the pocket watch that was to become popular

in the later centuries, the Nuremberg Egg was in vogue during the early

16th century. The users were particularly impressed by the fact that these

devices made use of clockwork rather than weights like the preceding

moidels of time-keeping units.

The invention of the device is credited to German clockmaker, Peter

Heinlin.

The Abacus Ring- the calculating wearable machine of the 17th centurySome people consider it the first ever wearable computer. Others see it

as a novelty item introduced in humanitys past. Whatever be the case,

there exists no doubt that the Abacus Ring-invented in China during the

16th century, was a major

evolutinary point in the

history of wearables.

The ring which was

developed during the

early years of the Qing

Dynasty(1644 to 1911)

was 1.2 cm long and 0.7 cm

wide and could be worn on

a finger.

Having seven rods with

seven beads each, the ring

was mostly used by Chi-

nese ladies who used hairpins to move the bead since the manuever was

impossible to make using a finger, owing to the diminutive size of the beads.

The users could make quick calculations using the Chinese abacus which

had a value of 10 or a multiple or sub multiple of the number ascribed to

each bead. For instance, all beads on a single rod could have the value of 1.

If thats the case and you have to represent, say the number 155, you should

separate five beads on a rod from the rest of them on the tens wire and also

separate a bead on the hundreds wire. The traditional Chinese abacus had

Calculating with fingers, taken to another level

THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES 21THE EVOLUTION OF WEARABLES

10 rods, so the abacus ring was

a variation of sorts.

The Victorian ingenuity of the air conditioned top hat in the 1800sThe Victorian era is generally

associated with vanity. His-

torians may or may not agree

with that view. However, if you

go by the fact that they came up

with an airconditioned top hat

to mimimize the sweat on the

scalp of many a high-browed

gentleman, you would side

with the vanity-view. The

invention remained in fashion

for just the briefest of times.

Electric Girl Lighting Company introducing dresses fitted with bulbs and batteries to light up houses in the 1890sThe company in question was started in 1884 in America when the con-

cept of electricity was, well..electrifying the entire nation. The correlation

between the human body and electricity was taken from its conceptual

cradle to materialistic reality by the company which aimed to give dresses

that were fitted with batteries and bulbs that can be worn by women. This

would help light up the home. In other words, a wife being the light of the

house was an idea that the company took to heart. As shown by subsequent

history, the people of America, or the rest of the world didnt find this an

electrifying idea.

The pigeon camera in 1907Pigeons may be the emissaries of love as far as Bollywood is concerned

but the German photographer, Julius Neubronner had a different idea.

Neubronner-who lived more than a century ago used to be an apthecary

whose job entailed the use of carrier pigeons to deliver medications to

clients. However, when one of his pigeons returned four weeks later than

expected, Neubronner hit upon the idea of mounting a lightweight camera

Some gentlemen apparently didnt think much of the sweat of your brow idea


on the pigeons body so that he could observe what goes on in other parts

of the land.

The camera in question was usually made using wood and weighed

anywhere from 30 to 75 grams. Pigeons were given special training to

carry the load and they would fly at a height averaging 160 to 330 feet.

The cameras time delay mechanism was made possible by the pneumatic

system attached to it.

The Roulette shoe in 1961One of the wackiest inventions ever made by mathematicians, the Roulette

shoe was essentially a a miniature computer that fitted inside a shoe. Its

purpose, as you may have guessed was to help the wearer win at a a game

of roulette. The device was invented by Edward O. Thorpe- a Mathematic

professor along with Prof. Claude Shannon- who is considered as the father

of information theory.

The idea was something which Thorp had been carrying around in his

head ever since he was young. However, it was only when he met Shannon in

his adult life that the plan came to fruition. The acquaintance with Shannon

not only gave Thorp the benefit of a highly scientific mind to help him but

also gave him access to the IBM 704- a machine which at the time was the

cutting-edge of technology.

Natural drones?


The wearer of the device would have wires running down the length of

his body, concealed under his clothes, leading down to the leg where they

find their housing in the shoes where they are attached to switches. An

earpiece was also part of the contraption which would convey messages as

musical tomes- one each for the octants of the roulette wheel. Simple tap-

ping of the foot were used to give inputs to the computer. The duo, even

though they covertly tested the device in Las Vegas casinos, never used it

for the purpose of gambling.

The Pulsar calculator watch in 1975These days, the Pulsar calculator

watch has a firm place in the list

of vintage devices. But when

it came out in 1975, the device

was considered as an ingenious

piece of technology. The first

ever wristwatch calculator, the

watch was introduced just before

Christmas of that year. The first

100 pieces were Limited edi-

Now, thats tapping to a winning rhythm!

One watch to calculate them all!


tion and was made in 18 kt gold and the price was a whopping $3,950.

However, people really did like the idea as all of them sold out and the

company followed it by introducing the stainless steel version for $550.

With red LED display of up to 6 digits, and the ability to perform calcu-

lations up to 12 digits, this one created quite a stir when it was introduced

for the first time in America.

Sony Walkman in 1979Not even the Apples iconic

iPod has been able to bloat the

memory of the Sony Walkman.

At least, not among those who

have had a great time grooving

to music during the 80s and

90s, thanks to this extremely

portable music device. The fact

that a highly vibrant youth cul-

ture- features of which included

sexual exploration and individu-

alism, existed in America when it was introduced helped make Sonys device

all the rage. Following their success with audio casette players, Sony made

the product innovation which enabled users to carry their music anywhere

they went. As for the quality of the cassette tape frequently getting tangled,

thats another story altogether

Seiko UC 2000 Wrist PC in 1981One of the earliest attempts at

creating a wearable computer,

Seikos Wrist PC looks like

small fish judging by present

day standards. 2K was all the

volume of date that you can feed

to the PC which would per-

form funtions like telling the

time or calculating sums for

you. Ambitious as the invention

was, it didnt go down well with

the audience- probably because

Move to the music while on the move

A wristy, geeky affair


of the fact that computers were still mostly used by organizations rather

than individuals. It was not until three years later when Apple intro-

duced theMacintosh in 1984 that the PC became a device of choice in

households. Maybe, if Seiko had waited that long, it would have been a

different story altogether.

Nelsonic Space Attacker Watch in 1984Inroduced in 1984, the Nelsonic Space attacker watch coupled as a time-

telling device as also a game playing unit. A collectible item for game enthu-

siats thsee days, the watch had a pretty large display that would display the

time along with information regarding the day, time, month, am/pm and the

alarm status all in one go. With a

simple push of a button, you can

change the display into a minia-

ture game monitor- albeit the fact

that you could play just one game

in it- Space Attacker. The game

could be played using just two

front buttons in the watch- the

left button to move your turret

and the one on the right to shoot

at the attackers from outer-space.

The catch was that if the attackers

had you the first three times

around, the earth is lost!

The fact that arcade games

were steadily gaining in popularity during the time in the U.S as well as

the widespread use of wristwataches- unlike the present day when we are

content with the time-telling abilities of our mobile phones meant that these

watches found their share of savvy users.

The head mounted screen- Private Eye in 1989It seems that every contemporary piece of wearable technology has a prede-

cessor. The Private Eye introduced by Reflection Technology was a prelude

to Google Glass. By scanning a vertical array of LEDs along a visual field

with a vibrating mirror, the head-mounted display would feed you visuals

the kind of which the world had never seen before. The diplay was 15- inch

long and was mounted at a distance of 18 inches.

Any time is good for a fight!


A rather daring invention for its time, the invention probably had for

its inspiration the portable devices such as the Sony Walkman which had

already become an icon by then. The fact that television and movies had a

potentially wider audience than music might have been an influence too.

The sneaker phone in the 1990sLooking like something that was born in the imagination of Ian Fleming

when he was super-drunk, the sneaker phone made a splash during the

1990s in America. However, the

product didnt casue any wide-

spread ripples in the market,

possibly due to its clunky nature.

The fact that sneakers were THE

accessory of choice for the urban

young might have prompted

such an invention, though appar-

ently even the experimental fash-

ionistas of American cities found

this one way over the top.

Levis ICD+ jacket in 2000Levis- the brand thats single-handedly responsible for making the denim

the choice attire of the young was also the first to inculcate wearable tech

into their garment. The piece of

clothing in question is the Levis

ICD+ jacket which was intro-

duced in summer 2000. Meant

for young professionals, the

jacket was created in collabora-

tion with Philips and came in

four styles.

The basic idea was to have a

removable wired harness which

one could connect to portable

electronic devices- including

mobile phones and MP3 players. All the devices would be connected to a

central control module using which the wearer could easily switch between

devices. Appealing both aesthetically and on a utilitarian front, Levis jacket

Really, words fail

Cool looks with hot technology


was testinmony to how much technology has literally become a part of

peoples lives by the turn of the millenium.

Bluetooth headset in 2002We all know how it is- people talking as if mumbling to themselves, all

thanks to the hands-free luxury that the Bluetoot headset affords them.

And it all began in year 2002 when Nokia devised the first ever Bluetooth

headset- the Nokia HDW-1. Initially conceived as a concept program,

the product was later accepted

as a product program. Unfor-

tunately though, the device-

which was based on Nokias

proprietary chipset, LPRF

was scrapped before going

for mass production. But that

doesnt take the sheen away

from it since it served as the

basis for more advanced prod-

ucts in the category.

Nike + in 2006What would happen when two of the worlds biggest companies came

together to create a product? If the companies in question are Nike and Apple,

then the answer is a cutting-edge

wearable device that takes your

athletic performance to whole

new heights- the Nike Plus. Intro-

duced in 2006, the product has

already gone through a few sig-

nificant evolutionary steps and is

a favourite among runners.

A transmitter that can be

embedded in a shoe transmits

information to the activity

tracker- a Sportband or an iPod/

iPhone to which the transmitter is linked. The runner could get the exact

stats regarding the distance covered and the pace etc. Apart from athletes,

health-conscious individuals also find this a useful device for obvious

Blue is the new cool

Just wear it


reason. What with a host of life-style induced ailments like obesity and

high levels of cholestrol making it inevitable for millions around the world

to exercise on a regular basis, Nikes introduction turned out to be timely

as well as innovative.

Fitbit classic in 2008The company, Fitbit Inc. which is headquartered in San Francisco took the

wearables route to challenge Nike by introducing the Fitbit classic. It was

the first in the line of products that measure such statistics as the number of

steps that one take while walking, the quality of sleep and also the number of

steps climbed aside from other personal metrics. Having a more expansive

list of features than the Nike Plus, added with the fact that it has appeal to

a broder audience than the athletically-conscious, Fitbit is rather popular

and could have significant influence on the wearables to come.

Google Glass in 2013Everyone saw the lines between science fiction and reality blur signifi-

cantly when Google came out with their unique product, Glass. The idea

behind the product that comes with a head mounted display was to create

a ubiquitous computer. Part high-end toy, part utility, the Google Glass is

already put to good use in fields as disparate as healthcare and journalism.

Undoubtedly a significant leap in the evolution of wearables, the product-

The bits and bytes of fitness


coming from such a widely recognised company has also made wearables

a common concept among the ordinary men and women.

Solar powered jackets in 2014One of the major concerns that the world faces in the 21st century is the

depleting resources of the world. The clothing brand, Tommy Hilfiger

entered the wearables sector against this backdrop. Their product- solar

Wearing sunny side up?

No, honey, you arent hallucinating, thats how things look through GLASS


powered jackets for both men and women was introduced as a limited

edition offering in 2014.

The jacket allows the wearer to charge cell phoes etc. using power from the

solar cells embedded in the jacket. The mechanism makes use of a chord in

the lining of the jacket that is connected to the solar panels which are found

on the back of the garment. The chord connects the panels to a removable

battery pack thats found in the front right pocket. The solar panels were

made using flexible silicon technology. If exposed to full sunlight, the cells

would enable the charging of a 1500 mAh mobile device for up to four times.

The presence of two USB ports in the pack means one can plug in multiple

devices simultaneously.

Apple Watch in 2015As an unintentional nod to

one of the first wearables

ever the Nuremberg Egg

which helped keep time in

the 16th century Apple

came out with the Apple

Watch in 2015. But this

ones not just about telling the time. Not by a long shot.

Using the product, one can

make or take calls as well as

text and is integrated with iOS aside from other Apple products and services.

And thats just the beginning of it.

Oculus Rift, slotted for 2016The Oculus Rift is the latest in the series of wearables to enthrall the users.

Said to be the first really professional PC-based VR heasets the device is a

virtual reality head-mounted display devveloped by the company, Oculus

VR. Having a resolution of 1080 * 1200 per eye, the Rift comes with inte-

grated headphones that provide spatialised audio. It also has full 6 degrees

of freedom in rotational and positional tracking. The product has come a

long way since it was first proposed in a Kickstarter campaign and is one

of the most anticipated tech releases.

From the humble beginnings as eyewear for monks to a head-mounted

VR device which takes the concept of contrived reality to another level,

One watch. Any uses?


the story of wearables is exciting to say the least. And along its evolution,

there has been inventions that didnt quite hit the mark as also the ones

which delighted the users. Judging by the rapid pace of innovation which

the world is seeing these days, many more along the same lines will hit the

market in more frequency than ever before.

The shape of things to come

32 CHAPTER #03

INTERACTION REDEFINED

One crucial challenge when designing any wearable device is the

medium of humancomputer interaction; in particular, how do

we as users talk and give commands to our wearables? We use

a User interface, of course.

A User Interface (or UI) commonly refers to a set of commands or menus

for human users to interact with a computer system or program. This can be

achieved via various mediums such as text, touch, voice, and so on (e.g. the

mouse and keyboard driven UI of a PC). Well-designed user interfaces allow

you to perform tasks efficiently and with minimal instructions or training.

While most examples of UIs would point to some visual/text-based

system, owing to their size and often unconventional design, these traditional

UI systems are often impractical for wearable tech. Imagine using a mouse

and keyboard to control a digital watch or headset! Yeah. Not happening.

Fortunately, it is not uncommon to see researchers develop new and

more intuitive ways of humanmachine interaction. Voice commands,

air gestures, and even neurological signals are being implemented as

means of communicating with digital systems. This spells great news

The growth of wearables presents some very interesting opportunities to design new interfaces. Heres how youll talk to your wearables.

33INTERACTION REDEFINED

for the field of wearables as it opens up a host of possibilities for easier,

more intuitive UI.

Lets take a look at some of the innovations in UI and how they can be

implemented towards wearables.

Gesture InterfacesGesture-based Interfaces rely on bodily motion for input, sometimes aug-

mented by voice-based input. Probably one of the coolest looking ones, this

type of interface was best conceptualized in the 2002 Sci-fi hit, Minority

Report, in which Tom Cruise was shown to perform a number of complicated

computing tasks such as manipulating images and videos using his hands,

which are fitted with some futuristic gloves that seemingly act as sensors.

What seemed like far-fetched science fiction is now slowly becoming

reality, thanks in part to the popularity of mention-sensing game control-

lers such as those seen in the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Move as well

as Microsofts patented Kinect Motion Sensor, which also recognized voice-

activated commands for a very seamless and intuitive user experience.

These devices use a collection of sensors to detect bodily motions when

are then translated to input signals that drive the UI. The Wiimote and

PlayStation Move controller use accelerometers and gyroscopes to translate

the motions made by the controller while the Kinect uses a motion-sensing

camera that is programmed to detect movements made by the users limbs

and head.

One can fathom the vast pool of possibilities and applications that

Gesture-based interfaces hold in terms of wearables. Technology users

have been for the longest time restricted to moving their point of interac-

tion across a two-dimensional field. Think of running your mouse across

your monitor. Flat, isnt it? Now imagine how useful the addition of a third

dimension would be to what has traditionally been a flat interface. You could

pull an object towards you to open their contents or fling them across the

screen to archive or delete them. Bring two-handed gestures into the picture

and youve added another gamut of interaction types. You can stretch an

object to zoom in, clap across it to close, double tap on it to pausewe are

only restricted by our imagination.

Currently, gesture-based interfaces are extremely popular for wearables

that lack a screen. Also, wearables can double up as input devices in such

gesture-based systems. Take, for example, Flying Fingers Mouse, a device

that looks suspiciously like the glove worn by Tom Cruise in Minority

34 INTERACTION REDEFINED

Report. It uses simple hand gestures to emulate pointer movement and has

buttons on the index and middle finger attachments for clicking; ideal for

those who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.

Augmented Reality InterfaceIn augmented reality (AR), digital objects are incorporated into the users

surroundings allowing them to interact with them in a contextual manner.

For example, bouncing a virtual ball off of a real-life wall, or using a virtual

gun (or a game controller) to shoot virtual enemies in a sort of interactive

digital playground.

There are a lot of real world examples of AR in action. It is a popular

tool for marketing and advertising campaigns, in particular, by using your

smartphone camera to scan your surroundings. A lot of apparel retailers

Thank you Steven Spielberg for your futuristic vision

INTERACTION REDEFINED 35INTERACTION REDEFINED

have some fitting app where you can try out stuff from their catalog by

either uploading a picture of yourself or in real-time via your phones

front camera. IKEA even has an app that allows you to visualize how their

furniture would look in your home against surrounding objects.

AR and wearables go together like peanut butter and jam. In fact, the

first thing you think of when you think AR must surely be either Googles

Glass or Microsofts HoloLenstwo pioneering devices in the context of

making AR mainstream. Both devices enhance the users everyday visuals

by providing contextually important information on the wearable head-

mounted display. Glass was designed more towards the lines of a smartphone

supplement (much like wearable smartwatches), whereas the HoloLens is

more of a standalone device, although it can be paired with Windows smart

devices for better inter-device control.

This sort of an immersive user interface has numerous applications by

increasing productivity at work and home. The ease of use this interface

offers, not the mention the sheer novelty factor, has made the tech com-

munity extremely excited about its eventual assimilation into mainstream

computing. During a recent Windows 10 press conference, Microsoft teased

a video in which a HoloLens uses built a model UFO using virtual images

shifted around in midair. This idea could be expanded to build plans for

skyscrapers, vehicles and other feats of engineering in seconds using

virtual schematics.

The Think Tank Teamheaded by Pranav Mistry who is also the Director

of Research of Samsung Research Americais developing an AR based

wearable known as SixthSense. Similar to Hololens, SixthSense is focused

on integrating real-world objects with digital information and virtual

objects. The device is made up of a camera and projector pair, worn very

much like a tie, with the camera located at the neck region and the project

placed right around the region between the chest and stomach. The camera

is used to detect four colored rubber bands tied around the tip of your index

and middle fingers on each hand. The motion and gestures made by your

fingers in translated to input for the visual interface output by the projector

on a nearby surface.

This technology is perfectly exemplifies the capacity of AR and its

communion with wearables. Potential applications for SixthSense include

making the photograph gesture with your fingers to instantly capture an

image, scanning book covers and displaying relevant information melded

with the cover image and text, scanning boarding passes and displaying


information regarding flight time delays and in-flights meals, etc. Really,

your imagination is the limit with such a versatile tool.

Voice User Interface (VUI)Arguably, the most intuitive method of communication for any human

is voice. We learn to communicate using sounds from a very young age.

However, communication is more than just learning a language; it is also

catching slight nuances, understanding the variations in tone, pitch, and

even recognizing the differences in accents. Problems like these were what

plagued voice-recognition algorithms for years, and in turn, making it dif-

ficult for a real-world application of a voice-based user interface.

Fortunately, technology caught up, and we have more than capable

voice-recognition software commercially available with a variety of real-

world applications. The most popular one, Google Now, is almost sentient

in its natureconstantly learning a users likes and dislikes, providing

suggestions with contextual informationits almost like a personal assis-

The new Pokmon game looks to integrate classic Pokmon gameplay with augmented reality


tant. Similarly, we have Apples and Microsofts equivalent with Siri and

Cortana, respectively, both of which have taken a page (more like a sheaf)

out of Googles playbook.

In the context of wearables, a voice-based interface is such an obvious

choice. What better way to communicate with a device that has no screen

and is placed close enough that you can talk to it? Well, you talk to it. In

fact, Google Glass and Microsoft HoloLens both support voice commands. Furthermore, almost all flagship Android Wear devices support voice

input with Google Now integration. Now, making a note to pay the bills is

as easy as literally telling your watch make a note to pay the bills. What

a time to be alive.

Voice-based interfaces are essential for the continued development on

the concept of the Internet of Things. Soon, homes will be referred to as

smart homes that run on smart energy, use smart appliances and are con-

trolled via smart devices. It is only natural that the most preferred method

of interaction is that which is most intuitive, i.e. voice. It is only a matter of

The Hound app looks to compete with Google Now by supporting more complex voice commands


time before our smart devices not just recognize what we say, but predict

what we are going to say and act on our thoughts before we do.

BrainComputer InterfaceIt is a known scientific fact that our brains generate electrical signals using

cells known as neurons. In fact, almost all of our thoughts have a unique

brainwave pattern, which are detected using a method known as Electro-

encephalography or EEG. This method uses (in most cases) non-invasive

electrodes placed strategically across the scalp that measure voltage fluctua-

tions resulting from ionic current within the neurons of the brain.

Scientists and doctors have used this method to map brain patterns with

specific commands and actions. This technology has tremendous potential

in terms of interacting with wearable devices, especially those designed to

augment accessibility for physically handicapped people.

Research programs dedicated to developing similar brain-controlled

interfaces have been accelerated of late with additional funding. One of the

Physically handicapped person using a brain-control interface headset to control wheelchair movement


latest and more path-breaking developments in this field was that of the

brain-controlled wheelchair designed to help paralyzed people gain mobility

by using nothing but their thoughts to control the wheelchairs movement.

Other examples of BrainComputer Interfaces include the Epoc headset

designed by Emotiv. Featured in numerous tech magazines and even on a

TEDx talk, the Epoc headset is a wearable that can detect EEG signals in

14 high-resolution channels and translate this raw data to commands that

can be passed to a software for applicative uses.

The potential for such technology when it comes to wearables is self-

explanatory. It is especially useful when you think of potential to connect

multiple smart devices to such an interface, allowing you to control items

like appliances and electronics to possibly even more complicated appli-

cations such as driving or translating thoughts to text. Envision a future

where you can operate a series on interconnected/interdependent devices

using thoughts alone.

Tangible User Interface (TUI)Weve already talked about the interaction of real-world objects with virtu-

ally designed ones in the discussion of AR-based interfaces. However, the

digital objects in AR are not tangible and will always remain virtual. We

are but grasping at air, and it is a well-known fact that as humans we do

appreciate some feedback when it comes to handling objects. The answer

to this conundrum is the concept of a tangible user interface.

In essence, a TUI allows users to interact with a digital system by manipu-

lating physical objects linked to the particular system with a certain set of

rules. For example, imagine a computer system in which the physical envi-

ronment is seamlessly melded with the corresponding digital domain that

recognizes the manipulation of the real world object in real time. The most

primitive form of a TUI is the humble computer mouse. In fact, moving a

mouse across a flat surface to manipulate an on-screen pointer is the most

direct method of interacting with a digital system through the manipula-

tion of a physical object.

In todays relatively more modern tech era, we have much more awe-inspiring examples of TUI. Take a look at Microsoft Pixelsense, a computing

surface that allows multiple users to interact simultaneously with objects

placed on a large table-sized interactive surface. The platform can be pro-

grammed to sense the type of objects placed on the surface and carry out a

set of commands accordingly. For example, you could place your phone on


the surface and then interact with content on the phone like view images

and movies, make video calls, or simply access files stored on the phone on

a much bigger interface for easy editing.

The earlier version of Pixelsense (aka Microsoft Surface 1.0; not to be

confused with Microsofts line of high-end laptop/tablet hybrids) used a

near-infrared, 850-nanometer-wavelength LED light source that would

react to changes near the surface by reflecting the light source to sensor

cameras. However, this camera-based system was ditched for a more accu-

rate pressure touch-based platform that could recognize fingers, tags, blobs,

raw data, and objects placed on the screen. Microsoft rechristened this

Microsoft Pixelsense interacting with objects placed on it


platform as Pixelsense and tied up with Samsung for manufacturing the

revised surface table, now called Samsung SUR40.

Sensor Network User Interface (SNUI)Easily the most intriguing of interfaces on this list, SNUI deals with creating

a humancomputer interface by using networked objects that are designed

specifically to interact with each other. Not unlike TUIs, an SNUI requires

physical, tangible objects that are programmed to interact with each other,

preferably when they are nearby. These objects are all roughly the same

size and plenty in number.


There are not too many examples of commercially viable SNUI imple-

mentations, but one does deserve a special mention for its sheer innovation

and practicality: Siftables. As described by its inventors David Merrill and

Jeevan Kalanithi, Siftables aims to enable people to interact with informa-

tion and media in physical, natural ways that approach interactions with

physical objects in our everyday lives. Siftables are small electronic devices

with a display, and they are programmed in such a way as to intuitively

and wirelessly interact with other siftables to allow for a more dynamic

and natural computing experience.

For example, when one siftable is place next to another, the parts of

the displace that are in proximity can light up, or change depending on a

context. Think of siftables that display portraits of different people. Now

imagine these portraits dynamically turning to face one another as they

are placed close together. It makes for an almost human-like interaction.

Other potential uses for siftables includes puzzles and interactive learning

toys. SNUI-based systems like siftables are still in a type of prototype stage,

but they can be designed in such a way so as to take advantage of intuitive

human interactions for making computing easy and fun.

Siftables in action. Example of a game played using three siftables.


Haptic-based InterfacesNot unlike TUIs that weve just discussed, haptic interfaces rely on the user

receiving physical feedback to their input actions. Simply put, tangible

user interfaces require you to perform some sort of physical interaction

with the system, whereas haptic interfaces will provide you with a sort of

haptic feedback, be it in the form of a vibration, a compressionbasically

anything that you can physically feel.

Such interfaces can be used to enhance our gamut of senses by aug-

menting them in a way that we can perceive. This kind of technology is

implemented in devices for physically challenged people such as those

with visual impairments. An excellent example of a haptic interface in a

commercially available device is Lechal, smart footwear that guide you

towards your destination using gentle vibrations.

Lechal utilizes metallic sensors (or pods) that are clipped onto the side

of the shoe or placed in the insoles. The sensors are then paired to the

users smartphone via Bluetooth, who then uses the GPS-supported phone

application that can be also via voice commands. Using real-time location

tracking, the left or right pod will vibrate indicating the direction in which

the user should turn.

Another cool example of haptic feedback is the Alert Shirta piece of

apparel that aims to connect humans across vast distances by detecting the

tangible, physical manifestations of human emotions and transmitting it

for others to feel and share. The Alert Shirt was designed to let sports fans

feel the physical strain and emotional stress that players feel when they

are on the field. It does this using embedded haptic motors that respond to

actions in the games, such as tackles, kicks, and even nerves that a player

might feel when stepping up for a crucial kick. With the rise in popularity of

wearables, it seems only evident that most devices in the future incorporate

some sort of haptic feedback system.

44 CHAPTER #04

THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES

Over the past half decade, wearable technology has seen a great

surge in popularity as evidenced by its rising sales. From house-

hold brands like Fitbit and Android Wear to pioneering devices

like the Oculus Rift and Google Glass, wearables look very

much like they are here to stay. In the tech sense, wearables are electronic

devices or miniature computers that are integrated into or made to resemble

wearable objects such watches, headbands, bracelets, rings basically any

piece of apparel that can be worn without hassle.

Applications for wearables have encompassed a number of fields.

Weve seen headbands fitted with EEG sensors for tracking brain activity

and translating it into a format that can be used to drive peripheral hard-

ware; in other words, using your brain to control pretty much anything

that can recognize electronic signals. In fact, wearables are also being

Analysing the current trend in wearables leads us to some unique revelations like their role in the enterprise space

45THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES

used in sports, a prime example of which is the MYOVOLT, a strap-like

device that applies vibration energy directly to muscle, soft tissue and

joints for physiological benefits.

With such a versatile range of applicability, there seem to be few

markets that wearables are yet to penetrate. Finance analyst firm IHS

predicts that from 2013 to 2019, the worldwide market for sensors in

wearables will expand by 67 million units to a staggering 466 million

units. This translates to an estimated increase in the number of wearable

devices from 50 million to 135 million thats a 170% increase or nearly

2.5 times in 6 years.

These numbers are a testament to the success of wearables in the com-

mercial market. People are slowly getting interested in these unobtrusive

devices that are slowing helping in making their daily lives just that

little bit easier. Of course, it helps that most of these wearable devices

are much more affordable than they were a few years ago. For instance,

a developer kit for Google Glass would set you back a staggering $1500.

Definitely not for the casual tech buyer. Compare this with the now less

than $5 Google Cardboard an almost primitive virtual reality headset

made using over-the-counter materials such as cardboard, optical lenses, a

Wearable tech shows great promise in sports and fitness

46 THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES

magnet, and some rubber bands. Of course, in terms of features and specs,

the two are not even in the league. However, this just goes to illustrate

that wearables can transcend barriers of price; something smartphones

have successfully managed over the past five years or so.

The Birth of an Emerging TrendThe need for wearables arose from an old trend that has relented for cen-

turies: mans need to make devices smaller and more convenient to use.

Before wristwatches were invented, timekeeping devices were clunky

and not known for their portability. Before you know it, wristwatches

were a thing and the rest is history.

Some might say the first true wearable was the humble Bluetooth

headset, devised and developed commercially around the turn of the 21st

century. Of course, we could go further into the past and argue that the

Pulsar Calculator Watch earned the title of the first wearable. It did qualify

as an electronic device that housed a mini computer capable of performing

simple calculations, while doubling up as a nifty looking wristwatch. And

before all of this was the infamous computerized timing device developed

by Mathematicians Edward O. Thorp, and Claude Shannon to help them

cheat in games of roulette.

Back then, there wasnt really a viable market for wearable computers.

In fact, the market for personal computers was slowly picking up, thanks to

the efforts of Microsoft and

IBM. At this point weara-

bles were limited to calcu-

lator watches and camera

and photography-related

devices. One notable device

around the 80s would be

the backpack-mounted

wearable multimedia com-

puter designed and built a

Steve Mann. It was capable

of displaying text, graphics,

and multimedia including

videos. Mann was an early

and active researcher in

the wearables field, and A wearable MP3 player by LG

THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES 47THE WAR OF THE WEARABLES

eventually went on to famously develop the worlds first Wearable

Wireless Webcam.

It wasnt until the late 2000s that wearables really began gaining some

traction in the technology market. A major contributor to this was the

rise in popularity of smartphones and the widespread adoption of Blue-

tooth. In fact, almost all of todays wearables owe much to this versatile

wireless standard. Bluetooth headsets were seen as a sort of indicator of

professionalism and success. It was also a wearable that greatly boosted

the wearers productivity as it left their hands free for other important

tasks, while also doing away with the hassle of wires.

Wearable music devices were also extremely popular, and the youth demographic was always on the lookout for easier ways to consume

their media. Sony was known for its Walkman range of portable media

players, although most of them were peripheral devices that required a

set of earphones to use. Eventually, Sony decided to test the wearable

market by designing and fervently marketing a pair of headphones that

housed all the components of an MP3 player, making it the worlds first

wearable MP3 player.

The Current Scene in the Wearable Market SpaceNowadays, wearables are much more than just portable MP3 players and

wireless headphones. The increase in the manufacture of microchip-sized

sensors has seen developers increasing experiment with prototypes of

innovative wearables. The more the tech barriers were brought down,

the more startup-scale developers were encouraged to try new things.

One company that knows this all too well is Fitbit. Founded in 2007,

this California-based startup is known for their fitness and health tracking

wearable bands. At the end of Q2 2015, Fitbit had 23.4% share of the

wearables market whilst enjoying a growth of 158% in market value.

However, it wasnt always smooth sailing for them, as cofounder and

CTO Eric Friedman claims there were more than a handful of times they

were close to calling it quits. Fortunately for them, the company had about

25,000 orders at their product launch in Christmas 2009. CEO James

Park says their success was down to the fact that it was the right product

at the right time at the right price point.

However, the biggest contributor to the sudden rise in development

of wearable technology is the success of crowdfunding. Websites like

Kickstarter and Indiegogo have been a massive boon for entrepreneurs


and small-time engineers who want to see their revolutionary ideas

brought to life but do not have the requisite funds to make it happen. In

fact, Kickstarter has to be credited for bringing modern day wearables a

household name. Enter, the Pebble smartwatch.

Built with an e-paper screen and designed to run with compatible apps

on your iPhone or Android device, the Pebble smartwatch was arguably

the worlds first commercially successful smartwatch. For funding, Pebble

turned to crowdfunding website Kickstarter, and it was not disappointed.

In its first three days, the project attracted 18,867 backers and raised

$2,656,389 of their initial $100,000 target, which successfully put the

watch into production. The project eventually raised $3 million in 60

days making it a runaway success and a great example of the effective-

ness of Kickstarter.

It didnt stop there, however; the successor to the Pebble, aka the Pebble

Time, also had its own Kickstarter campaign, which met its funding goal of

$500,000 in 17 minutes and crossed $1 million in about 49 minutes, a Kick-

starter record. It ended up as the most funded Kickstarter campaign reaching

nearly $14 million while still having 21 days remaining in its campaign.

OUYA: Proof that not all successful Kickstarter projects end up as consumer favorites


The Rise of Smart Bands and Smart Watches in Mainstream Consumer TechSome argue that smartwatches and smartbands still have a while to go before

they achieve mainstream popularity in India. Most Indians view them as

an unnecessary piece of technology, and that their marketing strategy is

to simply create demand which does not exist. Arguable, who really needs

a fitness band or smartwatch? There are a number of fitness apps that use

your smartphones inbuilt sensors to track steps and calculate distance

travelled, thus leaving most consumers who buy a smartband with the

feeling that they have paid premium bucks for a device whose features

were already available in their pocket.

The sudden growth of startups and the widespread adoption of a

consumerist lifestyle, especially among the middle class, has arguably

led to a drastic deterioration in the average Indians health. It seems

that the market is ripe for products that can help improve failing fitness

levels by any means possible. According to the Connected Intelligent

Consumers and Wearables report by the NPD group, one in ten adults

in the United States owns a fitness tracker. As current trends imply, the

Indian market does not seem to be extremely thrilled about wearable, in

particular smartbands and smartwatches.

However, the adoption of new technology is always met with some

resistance. Before smartphones became not just a common sight but

also an essential part of everyday life, they were looked at as expensive

devices that could only be afforded by people from higher income blocks.

However, their immense potential and scalability were critical factors in

their eventual widespread adoption. So much so that smartphones are

affordable and available even for people in rural areas. Wearables are

slowly progressing to this stage of mainstream marketability.

Currently, wearables fall somewhere between the affordable and

expensive price brackets. Top brand smartwatches range between $80

(`5,600) to as high as $1,100 (`70,000). You can also get a cheaper

Chinese model smartwatch for as low as `1,500 if you know where to

look. Smartbands are generally more affordable. The Mi band is a very

popular fitness band, and retails for approximately `1,000. Fitbit bands

were recently released in India and cost between `5,590 and `10,390.

India also has its very own smartband offering in GOQii. This com-

pany is trying to bypass the technology stigma by offering customers a

complete fitness service that includes the assistance of a fitness coach


who helps you a personalized fitness plan along with daily guidance and

motivation. You can opt for a 3, 6, or 12-month subscription plans, all of

which come with a free GOQii Activity Tracker. Hopefully, services like

this may help acclimatize Indian consumers to the concept of wearbles.

The Potential of Wearables in the Enterprise SpaceWearables are an emerging technology and seem to have wasted little

time in flooding the already packed consumer tech market. Initially

seen as a niche market that was dominated by startups such as Fitbit

and Pebble, a number of major companies, such as Google, Samsung,

Sony, and Microsoft have also joined in the fray, churning out devices

on 6-month to yearly cycle. However, their high price tag seems to be the

biggest deterrent to their market success, besides the fact that most users

are hesitant in spluging a considerable amount of money on a product,

most of whose functions can be carried out by a normal smartphone

or tablet. Another factor is that there seems to be very little immediate

gain to buying a smartwatch or smartband that costs anywhere between

`5,000 to `20,000. If it is a question of fitness, the average Indian

5 popular fitness app: (up left to bottom right) Sports Tracker, Adidas Micoach, Runkeeper, Endomondo Sports Tracker


would consider opting instead for a yearly gym subscription, which

costs just as much.

On the other hand, wearable seem to have much greater short-term

value for corporates and startups. In the case of service industries, weara-

bles can boost employee efficiency by providing them to convenient access

to process data and instructions, while their hands are left free to handle

machinery and equipment. Wearables can also lead to extensive cost

savings in complicated and expensive enterprise processes. For example,

oil-drilling companies spend up to hundreds of millions in identifying

and exploring drilling sites. They could equip on-site workers with cus-

tomized wearable devices to stream real-time data and information from

a control room. These can also monitor and control staff communicate

changes, and potentially highlight any gaps in communication, which is

often a common factor in process errors.

APX Labs, the creators of the Smartglass software for the Xbox One,

estimate the number of desk-less workers in the United States who could

benefit from implement wearables is about 40 million. This is across a

number of sectors including healthcare, retail or wholesale, manufac-

turing, government, transportation, construction, as well as resources

and utilities. After its initial demonstrations a a the recent Windows 10

conference, Microsofts HoloLens was hailed as being the next big thing

in the field of augmented reality, and for good reason.

The HoloLens features a transparent holographic display on which

the headset can project overlays of virtual images. These images can then

be manipulated by motion and gestures. This sort of technology is a God-

send in jobs and services that require complex spatial conceptualizations

such as architecture and city planning to name a few. Offsite trainers can

demonstrate complex tasks employees by projecting instructions over

existing real life projects. Collaboration can also be made easier; imagine

teams sharing design ideas in a three dimensional space. If properly

executed. HoloLens has the potential for wide commercial adoption in

the enterprise space.

The Future of MarketingAt present, the best means of gaining Marketing data is through online

interactions. The information that you share on social media, the posts you

like, the links you share, the websites that you visit, even the email you

read, are all valuable data that marketers thrive for. While the accuracy


of this data is often suspect considering the number of imposters and

fraudsters, there is no denying the results. The only drawback to this

system is that it cannot accurately predict consumer habits.

In this respect, wearable technology lends great promise to the future

of personalised advertising and marketing. Wearable technology devices

can potentially be used hundreds of times over the course of a day, more

people will engage with them than their traditional gadgets, meaning that

every minute is trackable and buying habits and personal preferences

can be easier tracked. While this sort of intrusive marketing is bound to

receive criticism, the average consumer may forever be unaware of it and


how it affects their routine. For example, the fact that Google and Facebook

make use of your saved preferences to deliver specific ads targeted to your

specific demographic is surprisingly unknown to the average Internet

user. If consumers are prepared to enjoy such a personalized service at

the cost of their personal data, time will tell.

The HoloLens in action

54 CHAPTER #05

LETS TALK DEVICES

Judging by the name itself, wearable technology clearly refers to

gadgets that you wear. However, there is a critical distinction that

separates what qualifies as wearable tech and standard electronic

peripherals such as headphones or digital watches. Wearable

technology helps devices connect to a smart network to help play

a number of functions that would otherwise require multiple device. and

they do this using sensors and network connectivity. You can use them to

track your fitness, stay organized, and stay updated even when your away

from a phone or computer.

Wearables are wrist worn, clipped to your body, hung around the neck,

and even implanted under your skin. Some manufacturers are attempting

to integrate wearable technology with clothing and jewelery. So what are

the main kinds of wearables available in the market right now?

Smartwatches In terms of functionality, few wearables can compete with the versatility

of smartwatches. All smartwatches come with a display, which can be

By showcasing the multitude of devices out there, well help you select the right wearable for you

55LETS TALK DEVICES

either monochrome or color, and have a digital watch face that is either

always on or can be woken up from sleep much like a smartphone dis-

play. To qualify as a smartwatch, however, they should ideally possess

secondary functions such a calculator, organizer and more complex ones

such as a note keeping app and fitness tracking capabilities. For this, most

high-end smartwatches include electronic sensors such as a heart rate

sensor, accelerometer, thermometer, altimeter, barometer, compass, and

chronograph. More expensive models are fitted with GPS chips making

them great devices for navigation.

Smartwatches fall into two categories: The first type referred to as

standalone smartwatches, do not require pairing with another device.

These smartwatches generally have a SIM card slot for Internet connec-

tivity and are powered by faster processors. This means they are generally

more expensive and relatively heavier than the other the other type, aka

the pairable type. These smartwatches requires a connection to a primary

device, generally via Blu

Digit FT to Wearables Issue 11 Vol 10 November 2015

Documents

Transcript of Digit FT to Wearables Issue 11 Vol 10 November 2015