digital africa
DESCRIPTION
For a presentation with live demonstrations at Digital Africa in Lagos, Nigeria.TRANSCRIPT
ROBIN RASKIN
Wearables are Natural Evolution
Where Will You Wear Your Wearable?
Where Will You Wear Tomorrow
Why Will You Wear Your Wearable?
The Quantified Self
• Never before in the history of the world have we had the opportunity to gather so much data about the healthy human body.
• Who’s calling me? • How far did I walk ? • What’s my body temperature? • I’m lost• What’s my heart rate?
Quantified Self
• Using tech devices to measure all bodily input and output.
• Is quantified self more than a narcissistic indulgence?
Scanadu’s Scout Misfit Shine
Beam ToothbrushNeurosky EEG and ECG
The Over Quantified Self?
Big Data Behind Each Individual
COMMUNICATE
• Phones for the very young• Diapers with sensor• Pacifiers as thermometers
This Rise of the Smart Watch
• Notification text, email, calls, calendar and social media
• Identification of caller/sender
• Read aloud• Dictation• Voice commands
• Eksla’s robotic prosthethics can help wounded/amputees/ or paralyzed to be independent.
• Hearing aids controlled by iphones• Gestures based interface• Natural speech
COMMUNICATE
HIGH FASHION
• This dress uses motion sensors that react to movement of the wearer
• Motion Sensors• Music Sensors• BrainWave Sensors
Utilitarian Clothing
Handbag that recharges your gear
• Never get dirty• Keep you cool • Carry Your Devices• Spy Resistant Clothing
• Wearable multifunctional, silver nanowire sensor for prosthetics, robotics
What Makes this The Perfect Wearable Moment
Ongoing Advances in Technology• Thinner and Sharper Display • Flexible Displays• Better Algorithms• Low Energy Bluetooth • Longer Lasting/ More Efficient Batteries• More responsive touch systems• Protective coverings against dirt/dust/ water• Smaller sensors
Flexible Screens
• Making Glass flexible has thinner and flexible has huge implications
Flexible Long Lasting Low Power Batteries
Better Algorithms: Predicative Analysis and Advice
Mo’ Better Sensors
Bluetooth Low Energy or Bluetooth Smart
• Gives wearables longer endurance
• Small form factor• Consumes less power
BioStamp from MC10
Bands are just today’s incarnation
New Interfaces
Gesture Just Think About it
Two Phenomena Worth Watching
The 3D Printing Revolution and Wearables• Fast protyping• If you can imagine it you can
design it• Materials are expensive• Plastics are not recyclable
PRINTINGStart with an idea
Using a 3D design program, such as Google SketchUp or Autodesk 123D, you can capture your idea and create a 3D file.
Next you load your 3d design intoa program, such as Cura, that can control a printer.
PRINTING
And finally, the printeractually prints your design.
Image from 3dprintingforbeginners.com
PRINTING
What’s in Glass?
• 5 MP camera with 720p HD video recording, touchpad input,• a 640×360 display, • Wi-Fi, • Bluetooth, gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, ambient light
sensing• bone conduction transducer. • OMAP 4430 dual-core CPU and runs on the Android operating
system.
Why Would You Want to Wear• Entertainment
– Oculus Rift, Agevant• Visually Impaired
– Orcam• Capturing Your Life’s Activities
– Google and Narrative • Sharing Information Quickly• Manufacturing and Assembly
– Vuzix • Education
Artists Creating Imaginative Fashions
Solar Backpack from VoltaicCarries your laptop and keeps your smartphone charged. With 4 Watts of power, one hour of sun gets you three hours of talk time and a battery stores one and a half phone charges.
TV-B-Gone JacketThe jacket uses a small universal remote control to power down TVs in restaurants, stores and bars. It’s activated by a switch along the zipper made from conductive thread. The original TV-B-Bone kt can be found from adafruit.com
Kamerflage Thunder Cloud and Lightening Bolt Dress
Kamerflage technology takes advantage of the fact that cameras see a broader spectrum of light than human eyes. Kameraflage allows designers to create clothes with colors that are invisible to the naked eye yet can be seen when imaged with a digital camera.
Connor Dickie uses this technology to bring the Thunder Cloud to life. When you look at the Thunder Cloud through a camera/mobile phone the Lightening bolt is revealed.
Bandeau Belt By Dana Ramler & Kathleen Westerhout
The marriage of safety technology with fashion in a product line for female recreational boaters. The Bandeau Belt is an inflatable PFD. The safety pin pierces a CO2 cylinder, which fills the inflatable bladder housed within. The inflated bladder emerges from the bottom of the Bandeau Belt and is then placed over the head to provide buoyancy and safety.
Pedal PusherThe Pedal Pusher is a high tech wearable system designed for urban female cyclists. Pedal pusher uses kinetic energy to power a stylish cycling shoe and address concerns of visibility.
“Bats Have Feelings Too”
This SIY sonar garment designed to assist the visually impaired with navigating their environment. The garment is made form off-the-shelf electronics. The range finder can be set to locate a solid object at a predetermined distance in front of the user and turn the vibe-board on alerting the user to stop before walking into the object.
Pollutant Shirt
Warning Signs is a visualization of the pollution that exists invisibility all around us. When the wearable senses carbon monoxide, the pieces subtle changes color and patter to indicate higher level of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere to the wearer and those around him or her. The piece was designed by Niem Lame and Sue Ngo