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Hi Vincent,
The wearable computer is in use today, mostly by utility
service people and students/experimenters. Service people
can see the service manual while they work on a copy machine,
a telephone patch panel, or a network wiring board, etc. The
combination of voice activated commands and visual imagery
create a hands-free environment to increase the speed at
which parts are changed, telephone numbers are switched,
and networks are troubleshot. The problems, as I see them,
are weight (3-to-5 pounds) and bulk, though thse problems
are rapidly disappearing. (See http://xybernaut.com for an
example product.)
Future uses are intended for public service (police and fire)
and military. In either of these fields, getting headset-to-
beltpack wires tangled in brush, fencing, or other hazards can
lead to ineffective police/fire/military personnel at best; it
can lead to death in the extreme case. That means elmination
of the "teather" (wires between components) via bluetooth tech-
nology (see www.bluetooth.com for more details), the reduction
of weight/size, and the increased battery lifetime are important
factors in the success of this technology.
This technology is the "extension of human memory and reasoning
power," just as optics improve human vision and hydrolics improve
human strength. I believe there will come a time when finding a
book in a library, a store in a mall, or an office in a building
will be made easy through low power (local) RF transmission of
directory data which is displayed on an eyepiece of some kind.
Touching the "initialize" button on one's computer when entering
a mall will be as natural as looking for the directory stand today.
These are my personal opinions, based on my recreational reading.
This is not my field, but I am interested in the advancements so
news of this subject catches my eye. Feel free to use ay of my
ideas toward your academic purpose. Good luck on your paper.
--
Alex Vrenios
Ph.D. Student
Computer Science Dept.
Vrenios@enuxsa.eas.asu.edu