Communications of the ACM
5 Futuristic Oddities From the Weird World of Wearable Tech
Advances in wearable technology are driving change in concepts of human-machine interaction.
Credit: WonderfulEngineering.com
Concepts of human-machine interaction are undergoing a transformation thanks to advances in wearable technology.
Robotic exoskeletons have made tremendous progress, with next-generation technology promising to do more than simply serve as rehabilitation tools; strength enhancement, new sensory input, and innovations such as the U.S. military's TALOS "Iron Man suit" to give soldiers superhuman abilities are some of the advancements on the horizon.
Another category of wearable tech includes portable mind monitors and brain-computer interfaces designed to enable completely thought-driven actions.
Meanwhile, "stealth wear" shows promise as a counter-surveillance tool, such as apparel made from reflective material that can block cameras and mobile tracking devices.
Also notable are smart clothing and textiles, which are already making inroads in the fitness space by monitoring bodily performance. A more advanced example is the sensor-equipped Diffus Climate Dress, a garment that indicates carbon dioxide content in the air by creating light patterns in decorative light-emitting diodes woven into the dress.
A fifth type of wearable tech with potential is the kind powered by the wearer, such as a prototype Samsung watchband that enables users to make phone calls by sticking their finger in their ear. The arm movement serves to accept an incoming call, while the watchband helps transmit sound vibrations through the finger into the ear via body conduction.
From The Washington Post
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