Wearable computing

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Wearable Computing ( English portable data processing ) is the research field that deals with the development of portable computer systems ( wearable computers or short wearables busy). A wearable is worn on the user's body during use (e.g. smartwatch , data glasses ) or is integrated into clothing.

In contrast to other mobile computer systems, the main tasks of wearables include tracking with the help of sensors, applications, hardware and software, and mobile information processing . The data resulting from the tracking arise from the environment, the behavior (e.g. activity) and the physiological condition (e.g. heart rate) of the user. The data used to supply information, including assisted or augmented reality applications, come from publicly accessible sources or private information systems (e.g. a company's ERP system).

The “ Walkman ”, which is based on the concept of wearables, has been around since 1979 . Pacemakers and hearing aids are established instruments in the health sector . What is new, however, is the expansion of the concept to countless other fields of application, which is made possible by increasing miniaturization, communication options for the components and lower costs.

Application examples

Well-known examples of wearable computers are smartwatches , activity trackers , head-mounted displays (e.g. Google Glass ) or items of clothing in which electronic aids for communication, music playback or for measuring activities are incorporated.

Wearable computing demonstrated using an example: An integrated pedometer in the smartphone fulfills a transparent functionality without disturbing the user or being conspicuous.

A large number of these devices are used in the quantified self movement. They record data via different sensors and process them directly themselves or transfer the recorded data e.g. B. on smartphones or laptops .

In general, items of clothing that are equipped with electronics, such as LEDs / OLEDs , LCDs , electroluminescent films or tubes, etc., are also referred to as wearables .

Depending on their function, wearables measure data of various types: physiological data, behavior and the environment. This data is collected by technical functions, such as a GPS function, in the respective device.

A wide variety of wearables now exist for a wide variety of purposes. They are often found in sports or fitness areas, in which, for example, heart rates, physical activity, or speeds are measured.

Less popular examples of wearables are hairbrushes with instructions for how to brush their hair properly or collars for pets, which transfer data about the well-being of the animal to the owner's smartphone.

There are also condoms, wearables that are supposed to track sleep and dreams, or baby socks that monitor a baby's health.

The permanent self-measurement with microchips, trackers or brain current meters aims to improve one's own life according to social and individual demands; in other words, to make it healthier and more efficient. Some health insurance companies are already experimenting with promoting fitness trackers as part of bonus programs.

In the meantime, the first commercially available components have been announced to equip wearable computing solutions with standardized computer systems (e.g. Intel Edison ).

In the working world, portable minicomputers and sensor systems are used to improve human-system interaction. Manufacturing and logistics companies, for example, use data glasses as part of a pick-by-vision system to optimize the picking of products or components. Furthermore find head-mounted displays used in the installation , maintenance or for remote assistance , to guide the employees in their work processes to guide them and to give assistance. Other wearables from the logistics environment are ring scanners and RFID wristbands .

Various wearables are currently being investigated for their accuracy in measuring physical parameters, their practicability and any risks involved in using them in the workplace . One possible area of ​​application for wearables is the investigation of sedentary behavior during office work at computer workstations .

Classification in computer science

Wearable Computing is an interdisciplinary field of computer science that is made up of sub-areas of the following computer science departments:

Technologies for measuring and collecting the data:

  • Sensors (e.g. GPS , light, proximity, acceleration)
  • Hardware and software for transmission
  • Applications for processing, analysis and presentation

Requirements for wearable interfaces / wearable computing

Functional requirements

Since the user should be restricted in his actions as little as possible, the control of the wearable ideally does not only require manual operation. For this purpose, the device should also act somewhat independently. In addition, the use should not be dependent on any additional factor, such as a location.

Nonfunctional requirements

The focus here is on the acceptance of the device by the user. On the one hand, this includes the cost of the device. If these are too high, sales are not economically viable. Another important factor is operational safety, especially clothing. It must be washable without damaging the technology. In order to protect the privacy of the user, protection against data misuse should also be guaranteed.

Research goals and obstacles

The aim of the research is to develop articles of daily use and clothing that are very easy to use and offer functions that are highly dependent on the user and his environment. A portable navigation system should not, for example, require the entry of the location, but determine it independently and guide the user to the chosen destination depending on the weather, price and preferences.

Open research questions and obstacles in the development of wearable computers are:

  • Context recognition: A wearable computing system should replace as much explicit user input as possible with an automatic recognition of the user context, for example the current location through the use of location systems. In addition, the computer system should also correctly interpret complex behavior of its user and support him in this. For example, a navigation system should be able to recommend different routes for a tourist or a business traveler and, if possible, recognize without an explicit configuration by the user whether he is currently traveling as a tourist or a business traveler.
  • User interfaces : Since wearable computers are intended to support the user in other activities, they require user interfaces that do not completely capture the user's attention. WIMP interfaces (WIMP = Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointer; German: windows, symbols, menus, pointers) are only suitable to a limited extent.
  • Energy supply: Modern batteries and regenerative energy sources are not yet able to offer the useful life desired for portable computer systems.
  • Miniaturization of electronics and integration in clothing: The technology required for this is currently not available on an industrial scale.
  • User acceptance: Is the use of a wearable computer, especially its visible user interfaces, accepted in a social context? Do the advantages of using a wearable computer outweigh the disadvantages (cost, appearance, effort involved in putting on and taking off)? Does an investment in a wearable computer make sense at the moment (further development of technology, cost reduction in the future, further miniaturization, etc.)?
  • Concerns about operational safety and health consequences
  • Measurement quality: According to Ferguson et al. (2015) "The validity of consumer-level, activity monitors in healthy adults worn in free-living conditions: a cross-sectional study" are the wearables available on the market in 2013 with the most accurate measurement of steps, less accurate and sleep measurements the most inaccurate in counting calories and measuring heart rate and pulse.
    • The reason for this: The sensors of the individual devices are very susceptible to sweat and body creams and, among other things, impair their measurement accuracy

privacy

The concerns about privacy and data protection concern the possibility of creating, for example, exercise , health or purchase profiles. The questions also need to be clarified: Who owns the wearable and the data it collects? The one who carries? The owner? The manufacturer? The data processor?

At the beginning of December 2016, the data protection authorities of several German federal states and the German Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information warned that none of the 16 wearables tested had met the data protection regulations.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lukasz Piwek, David A. Ellis, Sally Andrews, Adam Joinson: The Rise of Consumer Health Wearables: Promises and Barriers . In: PLOS Medicine . tape 13 , no. 2 , February 2, 2016, ISSN  1549-1676 , p. e1001953 , doi : 10.1371 / journal.pmed.1001953 ( plos.org [accessed January 31, 2018]).
  2. ↑ wearables. In: Jens Fromm, Mike Weber (eds.): ÖFIT trend show: Public information technology in the digitized society. Competence Center Public IT, 2016, accessed on October 11, 2016 ( ISBN 978-3-9816025-2-4 ).
  3. ↑ Kérastase Paris - Professional Hair Care & Styling Products. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on January 6, 2018 ; accessed on February 5, 2018 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kerastase-usa.com
  4. ↑ Smart Health Monitoring Collar | PetPace. Retrieved February 5, 2018 (American English).
  5. ↑ i.Con Smart Condom. Accessed February 5, 2018 .
  6. ^ Aurora - Dream without Limits. Accessed February 5, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Owlet Baby Care - Smart Sock & Baby Monitor. Accessed February 5, 2018 .
  8. ↑ Digital sports. In: Jens Fromm, Mike Weber (eds.): ÖFIT trend show: Public information technology in the digitized society. Competence Center Public IT, 2016, accessed on October 11, 2016 ( ISBN 978-3-9816025-2-4 ).
  9. ↑ Christoph Runde: Whitepaper Head Mounted Displays & Data Glasses. Deployment and systems (PDF) , Fellbach 2014
  10. ↑ admin: Wearable Computing. In: Theracon magazine. October 5, 2017, accessed on January 15, 2019 (German).
  11. ^ Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA): Wearables. Retrieved July 5, 2018 .
  12. ↑ Wearable Interfaces / Wearable Computing - media informatics. Retrieved February 14, 2018 .
  13. ↑ deutschlandfunk.de , news from December 5th, 2016 : Data protection authorities warn against digital fitness tapes ( Memento from December 5th, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) (December 5th, 2016)