Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Wearable Computer With Lightweight HUD

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the bring-back-weable-computing dept.

zeazzz writes to mention that the folks over at UMPC have a very cool little writeup and pictorial of a user's latest wearable PC. With the surge in smart phone adoption it seems that enthusiasm for wearable computers has dropped off a bit, which is too bad. I certainly look forward to my augmented reality HUD instead of depending on my iPhone for everything. "Essentially he took the MyVu headset, removed one of the eye pieces, and mounted the other to his glasses to that he could see his surroundings and the UX's screen at the same time. The MyVu is attached to the UX through the A/V output port on the UX's port replicator dongle. With some additional addons he provided his UX with extra battery life via an external battery, and several input methods to communicate with the UX while the rest of the kit resides within the backpack."

3 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. Smartphones aren't wearable computers? by timeOday · · Score: 4, Insightful

    With the surge in smart phone adoption it seems that enthusiasm for wearable computers has dropped off a bit, which is too bad.

    OK, the bluetooth headset seems to be winning out over the HUD as the main UI device. Other than that, how is a smartphone not a wearable computer?

    1. Re:Smartphones aren't wearable computers? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Smartphones are not really wearable computers for two reasons. First, they don't really count because, in general, you have to hold them during use, rather than actually wearing them. Second, they are not "wearable computers" in the sense that people with pacemakers or cochlear implants aren't "cyborgs": That is, they actually are; but they aren't what people imagine when they say so, so we don't really consider them to be.

  2. Re:No demand by paeanblack · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Instead of furiously wanking while trying to stand out from the crowd by wearing highly visible equipment, these guys should be finding a niche where mobile computing makes sense.

    -Anybody working in a factory or a warehouse, where nobody cares how you look.
    -Field service techs that need access to a ton of reference data.
    -Anybody that climbs up a telephone pole or down a manhole.
    -Anybody who needs use of both hands and access to information simultaneously to better do their jobs.

    It's not exactly a "niche" market. Designing a wearable eyescreen that doesn't suck will be worth a ton of money.