MIThril, More Wearable Fun 31
whacked writes "For those that haven't checked the MIT wearables page in a while, there seems to be a bit of action. The MIThril project looks like a major advance on the original MIT wearable design, with features such as the body bus, `a branching single-cable power/data network.' An update on May 25 states, `We have finalized the plans for the first "release" MIThril'." They also link a design doc for Enchantment which has a ton of interesting bits about designing a Window Manager for a wearable. Don't expect to see an actual device any time soon, but for the far-out thinker, there's lots of interesting stuff to read and think about.
Hey at least... (Score:1)
Re:Here's a happy thought (Score:1)
Re:Here's a happy thought (Score:2)
Re:vest based vs. "normal" wearables (Score:2)
The location of the machine doesn't really matter; what you're actually wearing is the I/O devices, so that you can use them without looking down or occupying your hands all of the time.
If nothing else.... (Score:1)
If nothing else, it'll help keep you warm in the Winter!
Non-modal interaction? (Score:2)
So how to make devices that combine non-modality with interactivity? Right now, it seems like these devices just divide modal interaction into smaller and smaller timeslices. That takes you from the five seconds to pull a pocket computer out of your pocket (or one second to access it once it's out of your pocket) to a fraction of a second. Definitely an improvement, but just an incremental one, and for this one is constrained to having to wear the thing. Judging by wearable beverage technology, this is a significant disadvantage. Personally, I don't even keep glasses on my face when I'm not using them, and they're pretty useful. But are there other approaches to the modality issue?
Obviously, there's also the added portability for users who walk around all day or are similarly on-the-go. Are there other significant advantages? I'd appreciate if anyone familiar with wearables could offer some references or example applications.
Re:Seeds of the Borg (Score:2)
Step 1) Collect 12 boxes of women's underwear
Step 2) ?????????
Step 3) Take over the world.
It's a long long way from wearable computers to the Borg.
re: Thumbscript... (Score:2)
Check out Thumbscript [thumbscript.com], an alternative to Grafitti and possibbly twiddlers, as well...
Oh, and BTW, if this (talking about Thumbscript) becomes a story in a few days, I am going to be REALLY pissed at whoever rejected my submission!
Worldcom [worldcom.com] - Generation Duh!
Radiation concerns? (Score:2)
This is all very cool and I would use one even if there were some dangers involved.... just have to find a lead t-shirt!
Cutaneous Rabbit (Score:3)
Interesting Stuff is having in related fields, as well. Last week's New Scientist had an article on flight suits utilising tactile cues capitalising on the 'cutaneous rabbit' effect. Basially, if you get tapped three times, it'll feel like many more, so a small number (32) of pressure pads all over your body will provide a nearly seamless feeling of contact anywhere on your body. They're using it for pilots right now, but as far as intuitive interfaces go, getting 'tapped on the shoulder' when your phone's ringing isn't a bad one. Plugging this into your car's computer and letting it give you cues whenever there's something getting too close sounds alot better than actually letting the automobile drive *itself* if you ask me. And damn, I just can't park.
One of the great things is that it uses air-pressure in the interconnecting system to feed the pads. Alot safer and lighter than carrying around huge battery packs.
Re:Ask me about Enchantment (Score:1)
That being said, there's nothing really proprietary in the systems. We're in the process of publishing circuit schematics and the like, so anyone else can build on our research. It is intended more for other research groups, though, as opposed to individual enthusiasts, because of the needed involvement in fabrication.
Personally, I really wish that someone was selling commercial systems of similar capabilities. We don't really want to be in the hardware arena, since it's not our specialty, but making these prototypes ourselves seemed to be the only way to get into the really interesting areas of software design and social research that we want to investigate.
Re:Ask me about Enchantment... Eye-Pointing? (Score:1)
One problem is that the heads-up displays we use have a field of view of only ten degrees or so, which is about the same as a PalmPilot held at normal viewing distance. So to be able to eye-track to on-screen controls well, you really need at least one degree of angular accuracy, which is hard in a portable system.
That being said, though, it would be hugely useful to us as interface designers just to be able to tell when the user is attending to the display instead of looking at something in his environment. With that, you only need 10 degree accuracy or so, which is feasible with a simple CCD camera system. We'd love to find someone willing to collaborate on making such a basic head-mounted system.
Ask me about Enchantment (Score:4)
Anyway, I'm happy to answer questions on that or on the MIThril project in general.
Re:Ask me about Enchantment (Score:1)
Re:Ask me about Enchantment (Score:1)
If this kind of thing were available, then the need for people to put together custom boards would seem to be less of a hurdle.
I hate to nit pick though. You guys and gals are moving along quite nicely. My frustrations mostly stem from not having the money to throw at building something anytime soon. I hope the how to's are out by the time I can put together my wearable fund.
Re:Seeds of the Borg (Score:1)
The darker aspects seem to come when one has no choice about the tasks that others get to add to your to-do list. Just retain veto power over your to-do list, I mean you do have a will of your own. As long as that is true, I would join. And will as soon as I can put together my wearable fund.
I see a portable D/A here. (Score:3)
Re:Cutaneous Rabbit (Score:1)
If a waterproof version was available it would be good for people in Prison...if you drop the soap, you could feel the person approaching you, before you really feel that same person coming from behind ;-)
Re:vest based vs. "normal" wearables -- good point (Score:1)
"The distinguishing feature of wearables is that you can use them without taking them out of whatever you carry them in. Palms are designed to be always with you, but not always usable; you can't see where you're going and they take both hands."
OK, good point, but in the case of the charmed-in-a-bag, I still see this as "less wearable" than most other wearables because it's less integral to the wearer's body, more like a purse with a laptop. Yes, the IO is outside, and I agree that's the most important thing, but a bag that you have to drape over the back of your chair or whatever is a lot different (not worse, hey, I might prefer it) than one that's *attached* to you, even in the way that a vest like the MIThril is attached to you.
simon
vest based vs. "normal" wearables (Score:2)
The vest approach might seem strange and limiting compared to the more separately worn ones (hey, it might be warm for a vest, right?) but in reality, all the wearables available right now need batteries (lots of juice) and communications (bluetooth and similar aren't really widespread enough or useful enough), and it's all got to go *somewhere*
If it was a light enough mesh, a vest really might not be as limiting as I used to picture it, and by placing the stuff around a user's torso (usually adjudged pretty important to the user!) it probably gets more protection than it looks, just from natural self protection.
as computing power gets cheaper, GPS and other technologies spread, that vest could become a lot lighter, too. Now if only there were
simon
Re:Seeds of the Borg (Score:2)
precisely the point. (sorry to see you moderated as off topic)
because some *will* see it as radical cool, and others recall in horror. The next big series of wars ( say, compared to the crusades, or the recent spat of european wars since napoleon) may be based on precisely this philosophical point.
I am sure that for many, it would be perfect, until it is over populated by the weekminded imps on weekend vacation, or all of the psychos get online. Imagine Borg Spam for example. Advertising right into your mind, and not being able to filter it! Imagine America, Land of the Free, home of the Brave, and Birthplace of the Borg.
Check out the Vinny the Vampire [eplugz.com] comic strip
Seeds of the Borg (Score:4)
What people never looked at in the various trek series was how the Borg became the Borg.
My thought on this is that they would become the borg because in the beginning someone, somegroup, thought that all of that embedded/wearable technology is radically completely cool.
I can imagine the first network where a human can access computer data directly via a wire to that skull. Or where direct interfaces happen from brain to brain. Someone is going to have the equivalent of a religious experience as far as the significance of this vs Nirvana and the group mind.
People tend to become the things they resist. [Note for example, cops going criminal in their actions against crime] So already the seeds of the Borg are among us.
If you do not want to become a Borg in the present or future life, you will have to provide a better solution than the experience that the Borg will be.
Check out the Vinny the Vampire [eplugz.com] comic strip
Re:Here's a happy thought (Score:1)
Wearing Technology (Score:3)
is this.....is this for REAL? [mikegallay.com]
Re:Ask me about Enchantment... Eye-Pointing? (Score:1)
The borg have landed..... (Score:1)
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www.shockthemonkey.org [shockthemonkey.org]
Re:Seeds of the Borg (Score:1)
*very* developed project (Score:2)
http://www.media.mit.edu/wearables/mithril/diagra
It was drawn by EvilBorg too, and almost a year ago.
Re:Can you imagine... (Score:2)
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Re:Sad news - Stepehn King dead at 54 (Score:1)
Here's a happy thought (Score:4)
By the way, who else felt pretty blue after reading the Swordfish review?