Wearable Computing (1995-2000)

Personal Background

In 1994 I first met Thad Starner and his wearable computer (Lizzy) in a coffee shop. Meeting him again a few months later I showed him the wearable computer I had built, and he invited me to join him (and the other members of the Borg) as a graduate student at the MIT Media Lab.

Overview

This early pioneering work in wearable computing from 1995-2000 explored the fundamental integration of computation and electronics into clothing and accessories. The research helped establish foundational approaches to wearable technology and influenced subsequent developments in the field.

Technical Developments

Hardware Integration

• Miniaturized computing systems

• Power management solutions

• Sensor integration

• Display technologies

• Early wearable input/output methods

Software Systems

• Context-aware applications

• User interaction models

• Sensor fusion algorithms

• Power management systems

• Wearable interface design

Media

Research Impact

• Established foundational concepts in wearable computing

• Influenced subsequent wearable technology development

• Advanced understanding of human-computer interaction

• Created new paradigms for mobile computing

• Contributed to the formation of the wearable computing community

Legacy Projects

This early work led to numerous subsequent developments:

• MIDI Jacket (1997)

• j4k3t 2.0 (2006)

• Sp4rkl3 (2008)

• µTartan (2009)