Literature Review - 1
Reviewed - STAR Newspaper Article (STAR2 Technology)
Alright, so a couple of days ago my mother stumbled across an article on the STAR newspaper about wearable tech a day before my 'TedTalk' presentation class. I found a digital version online and it is available Here.
The newspaper had an additional excerpt on international wearable tech which the site did not publish. So with this article, I hope to expand my research to a more local context.
The article talked about a wearable security system called WaryBee. You could click on the link and read about it there, I'd do the evaluations here instead.
Everyone (and I mean everyone) expects wearable tech to burst through the roof and take over the digital world. However, I'm pessimistic. All these talks about the recent launch of the Apple Watch and the failure of sales for the Samsung Galaxy Gear, makes me doubt the creativity of the innovations in these inventions.
To me, they're just making smaller computers. Which is quite redundant, since it would take twice as much effort to navigate, read and use.
How are you going to answer a call with that? I could only imagine the amount of hassle when I see someone actually using it to communicate, shifting around their wrist from ear to mouth repeatedly. You could always put it to loud speaker, or plug in your earphones if you want privacy. Or you could just use a bluetooth ear piece. (which is one of the wearables that 'almost' took off)
Anyway, back to WaryBee.
In order for it to actually reach its full potential, EVERYBODY has to download the app. Even those who are not wearing or using the WaryBee. If they don't, they wouldn't be able to get notifications on their phone whenever a kidnapped person is within a 30m radius of them. You have to get ALL your emergency contacts to download the app as well.
No. 2, this little thing is priced at RM140-Rm200. Honestly, I would rather implant a GPS tracker chip under my skin like most owners do to their pets. There's just too much hassle with something so easily removable.
Which brings me to my next point, how sure are you that the kidnapper won't notice this goddy little thing hanging around the victim's neck or pockets? I would probably rip it off and toss it on the side of the street if I were them. Rendering the Warybee and the victim useless.
I could conclude that their research was not thorough enough and that they never went through enough testings before deciding that they could sell it to the public.
I predict that this product will NOT take off. It being attached to an app and bluetooth is hassling enough. People want convenience, not just another gimmicky phone application which drains their phone batteries because it has to be switched on 24/7.
HYBOBAND
This one, I see taking off.
It's simple and straightforward and there are fewer risks of the band actually detaching itself from your body.
The only possible drawback this product could have is that anybody that want to use this or get notifications from this, HAVE to download the app.
Honestly, as a smartphone user, I would like to have as LITTLE applications as possible.
EXOGEN on the other hand, is usable and marketable. People just use it and reap the benefits of the product. There are already smart contact lenses being developed that measure the glucose counts in your tear fluid. That is already one step after these bands because the results of these bands could be inaccurate due to the wearer's environments.
I would joke around and spill a can of coke on this device and it would go berserk, summoning a cluster of worried faces and speeding ambulances; although I'm not really sure they work that way.
However, it states that their plan for further development involves making an APP which allows a computer trainer to tell you what to do. This would be good in some ways, as long it doesn't need the user to prompt other users to download it for it to be used effectively like the WaryBee. It's more personal.
Unlike the Warybee, if nobody downloads the application, the victim would be pressing the HELP button the whole day long and no one is going to come rescue them.
At the end of the article, a research analyst from Gartner states that wearables are going to be used as add-on (extensions) to mobile phones for the next five years and that it would take awhile to gain mainstream acceptance. This, I can agree on.
I'm also excited about this:
“In the not too distant future, we may even see our mobile phones relying on hybrid power generators that use different energy sources such as thermal, electrostatic, solar or motion,” he said.
The main problem for smartphones are their battery life. People have tried to fix the problem with power banks but they are just too chunky to carry around. What if you could charge it by just putting it close to your skin, so that it could thermally charge your phone. Or charge it from the motions of your bag, or even solar. Electrostatic friction as well.
There are even some inventions which allow users to charge their devices with their own blood. I think this is a little too far fetched for anybody's taste. But the reasons of some of their inventions are more of an awareness than an actual product launch. It is functional though. They are trying to send a message to the public about how dependent we are on these devices that they have already become apart of us, like another functional organ which needs blood to run. The pictures are really beautiful! I love how utopian they tried to make it look.
So onto the international excerpt section.
There are a couple of wearables stated:
- Daewoo built a wearable exoskeleton (no name of the device here)
- Ducere Technologies in India has created, and I quote 'the first smart shoe' called Lechal which means take me there in Hindi. It links to Google maps and vibrates the soles on your feet to tell you which way to turn.
...what if it were recalculating? So should the users just walk around aimlessly until one of the soles vibrate? I'd like to know where I'm going. I would probably prefer to look at the maps on my phone because the main uses for it is that I could look on ahead and see where should I turn next which you couldn't do if wearing these shoes. I have a feeling it could only serve its purpose for the visually impaired. It's RM315 a pair and its cheaper than the band and the WaryBee.
- The Ring from Kickstarter.
I doubt it's accuracy. It's a ring that recognizes your finger movements to execute actions like switching on your fan. But, you have to have the APP and it has to be linked via Bluetooth to your phone. I'd rather just flip the switch for my fan or any other devices for that matter.
- The Comback System
An augmented reality helmet for firefighters where it would help them navigate around fires.It doesn't use GPS to pinpoint the location but uses the firefighters' footsteps instead. (Gps does not work indoors, of course) and a compass will be used in its place. It's a pretty legitimate wearable device in my opinion as it could help save lives.
Overall, Malaysia, wearable technology is not as innovative when it comes to wearables because it is really new and do not have enough of research and development on this tech yet.
References
Chong,
J. (2014). Wearables Take Shape. THE STAR, p.2,3.
Deccan Chronicle, (2014). Now charge your phone with blood flow. [online] Available at: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/141028/technology-latest/article/now-charge-your-phone-blood-flow [Accessed 1 Nov. 2014].
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