Every emerging discipline in computing is born first as a theoretical approach, almost a dream in the mind of the inventor. Some of such theories have clear practical ramifications, such as encryption algorithms. Others, on the other hand, take some time to evolve from the concepts on paper to something that can be applied in the real world. The transistor is the best example of this: legend has it that Bell Labs' engineers almost failed to register the patent on what turned out to be the concept that revolutionized computers.

Having the above in mind, it is not surprising to ask "What are wearable computers good for?" and "Can I do something useful with this thing?". Perhaps the strongest reason one should respond with "Many things." and "Yes, you can!" lies in the origin of wearable computing: lack of functionality was what made the inventors explore what could be done about it and eventually to make wearable computers more functional than their counterparts. Still, rather than being content with what might look like a theoretical answer to our pragmatic question, we shall observe several applications of wearable computers in various non-related disciplines. Because of this extreme spectrum of disciplines utilizing wearable computers, the question of the applicability of wearable computers should be satisfactorily answered.

Mediated/Augmented Reality is the ability of the computer to offer enhanced presentations of reality to the user. Face recognition programs utilizing Fourier analysis have long been around. Having them process everyone you encounter in your visual field, perhaps building a data-base, has strong importance in various day-to-day situations: enhancing your own personal safety or recognizing all of your clients being only some of the important aspects. Imagine bumping into someone you have only met once and immediately knowing not only their name, but having access to a whole database of information about them. Other applications of augmented reality lie in adding to your perceptual field. To aid in repairing a broken photocopier, an overlay of the internal structure of said photocopier can be put in the repair person's visual field and thus can help him/her in his/her work.

Visually challenged and/or impaired persons can benefit much from BlindVision. It is a personalized radar system that is integrated in a close-fitting vest and which is able to process objects in the vicinity of the wearer. Returned waves from the said objects are transformed by a wearable computer and sent over to the vest, which sends electric stimuli to the wearer. The exact position of a moving object with respect to the wearer is simulated, as well as the proximity: closer objects exhibit stronger "pressure" via stronger current, while objects further away accordingly output milder current. In a very real sense, one can experience what could be described as the sensory vision. BlindVision does not only apply to visually challenged persons: any cyclist, motorcyclist or professional who has to work on the open environment would appreciate this invention.

MEDIWEAR is closely related to BlindVision, but with an interesting twist: where BlindVision is involved with processing the outside stimuli and presenting them introspectively, MEDIWEAR does the opposite - clothes with embedded wearable computers closely monitor the wearer's body functions. The moment that any one of them becomes critical, the predefined medical unit is notified remotely. The paradigm of BlindVision is then inverted, as the transmitted signals are internal and they are relayed on to an external source.

Another application of wearable computers following the approach of MEDIWEAR is ENGwear, the acronym which stands for Electronic News Gathering Wearable system. As with MEDIWEAR, the introspective impressions of the wearer are forwarded to an external source. This application, however, introduces something that all previous ones lacked: the sense of community. Whereas the user is treated as the individual both in BlindVision and in MEDIWEAR, ENGwear implies the existence of a group to which the user might want to offer his or her sensory impressions. Just about anything that the wearer would see at a given moment could be shared. The usefulness of this paradigm of wearable computing is more than obvious.

Having listed only several applications that come to mind, one can easily see why you would have to answer positively to the questions posed at the beginning of this article. It is clear that wearable computing as a concept has survived its fragile infancy as a theoretical approach and furthermore, that the exciting era of applied research is at hand. The current rate of expansion in the field suggests that there will be many new inventions in the near future - and to stay updated, be certain to visit this site regularly.

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