Wearable Computing Immersion

     In this post I will talk about Wearable Computing, a new immersive technology featured in the upcoming IMMERSION 2015 summit. You can read more about the topic and summit here at http://immersiveeducation.org/news/paris-announced-site-immersion-2015.





     Wearable computing is a new technology that has only sprouted up in the post couple of years. Just as the evolution of phones went from flip phones with only call and text capabilities, to mini computers and tablets in our pockets, our watches are now capable of doing things like going on the internet, tweeting and even taking a call. There are many new wearable devices that are capable of such activity.

     The originator of the "smartwatch" is the Pebble. Even though it is rather mild compared to the capabilities of new smartwatches these days, the Pebble set the standard as to what smartwatches should come with. For example, you can see your texts on the watchface as they come to your phone. Developers even create applications that can use Yelp, make the device become a GPS, and even use as a calculator.

     Google Glass is one of the newest wearables in the market, but also the only one that delves into glasses as its product of choice. You can see texts appear before your very eyes, take pictures with them, and even call people, all on your glasses. People are even thinking about using them in museums, to pop up information about exhibits as you pass by and look at them. The future is just around the corner for this brand new product.

The Samsung Gear is the next step above the Pebble. It has far more capabilities than the Pebble, such as being able to call and communicate directly from the watch, take pictures and videos with the camera, and use its huge array of applications from its app store. Even though the watch is jam packed with all these features, it has sadly suffered. The quality of the calls and pictures are not that great, and a lot of applications are iffy, but all in all it is a great product.



The Apple Watch is the newest competitor in the smartwatch market. And it is by far the most capable and powerful of its kind. Promised to have a skin sensor for heartbeat, it will have all the standard Apple device applications and more. The extent of how great and powerful this watch will be is left up to time to tell.


                                                                   

The Myo Armband is, for now, one of a kind. This wearable will have more interactivity with the real world than any other product listed. The Myo Armband has gesture control capability, meaning that a shake of the wrist could mean turning on and off devices, or a swipe with the hand could mean the next slide in a presentation. What you can do with the Myo armband is very open and has yet to be fully explored, making this a very intriguing product.






This is an assignment from the Immersive Education course that I am taking at Boston College. The course is called Collaborative Computing. For details, visit the immersive BC portal at http://ImmersiveEducation.org/@/bc