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Wearable computer follows suit of smart phones
KAIST hosts “Wearable Computer Competition” in KI Building, Daejeon Campus, on the 7th-8th of November
“Computer that controls smart phones with the movement of facial muscles” and 12 other wearable computers to be presented
As technology transitions to “Wearable Computers,” KAIST is hosting its 9th “Wearable Computer Competition.” The competition will take place over two days, 7th-8th of November, in KI building, on the main Daejeon Campus.
The “wearable computer” is designed to enable users to use the computer whilst moving by limiting its weight and size so that it can be worn as a part of the body and clothing. Wearable computers have been considered the future of information technology (IT) ever since smart phones and other miniaturized IT devices made an appearance.
The “Wearable Computer Competition” has been held since 2005 under the leadership of Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo from the KAIST Department of Electrical Engineering. It is the only competition in the nation where undergraduate students use their unique ideas and newest technology to produce computers that seem to be existed only in sci-fi movies and comic books.
A total of 15 teams out of 70 made the competition and went through a rigorous selection process based on written applications and interviews to enter the final. The teams at the final received USD 1,400 and IT devices including smart phones to produce a wearable computer.
KAIST increased the number of finalists from the last year"s 10 to 15 this year as the wearable computer industry is extending, and there is growing interest in the computer around the world after the launch of Google Glass and Samsung Galaxy Gear.
This year’s entries included a product for quadriplegic patients to control smart phones with the movement of facial muscles, which attracted public interest. The product in the form of a headband can be worn by quadriplegic patients or someone with limited hand movement. The user can activate the product by clenching their molars and move the mouse on the smart phones with the movement of muscles in their face.
Furthermore, a wearable band shaped device that can control smart phones with simple hand movements is also attracting interest. Broad hand movements of the user allows him/her to receive calls and take photos, and handshakes between users control sharing of files. Body communication can be used to protect private information without a password or locking the device.
In addition, gloves and shoes that can sense the user’s movement to play an instrument without the instrument being present; a cane for the blind that converts visual information to tactile; a belt that protects children from sexual crimes; and a game where the user can be Super Mario to play and other practical products are presented.
The chairman of the competition, Professor Yoo said, “As you can see from the launch of Samsung Galaxy Gear, wearable computers will follow smart phones as the leader of IT devices in the next generation.” He continued, “This competition and workshop is an opportunity to increase public interest in wearable computers and serves as a communication platform for experts to view the present and the future of wearable computers.”
The “Wearable Computer Workshop” will be held this year as well. The workshop under the theme of “the present and the future of wearable computers” invited Professor Kyu-Ho Park, Vice President of KAIST, as a keynote speaker to talk on “ubiquitous, fashionable computers.” Moreover, Samsung’s Dong-Jun Geum and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute’s Hyeon-Tae Jeong will lecture on the “trend and direction of progress of wearable devices” and the “technological trend and prospect of industry of wearable computers,” respectively.
To participate in the competition or the workshop, please visit the website (http://www.ufcom.org)
for further information.
2013.11.28 View 10219 -
Great Success!: 2011 Wearable Computer Contest
The 2011 Wearable Computer Contest (WCC) was held on the 28th and 29th of November at Seoul COEX. The WCC is hosted by KAIST and Korea Next Generation Computing Society and is an annual event.
A wearable computer allows the user to freely use the computer even a moving environment and involves the miniaturization, weight lightening to incorporate the computer into clothing. It is the fusion of IT technology and fashion and is opening new fields like entertainment, healthcare and other forms of fashion culture.
The competition selected 10 teams out of the 57 teams that applied that will participate in the finals.
The selected teams have to use smartphones to create a wearable computer that detects and uses the biorhythm of the wearer. A staff member commented that the requirement to use biorhythm reflected in many teams entering products related to health and safety, and body and entertainment.
The most notable of the products entered was the outfit that prevents bicycle accidents. The LED attached on the back shows the direction the bicycle is traveling, or if it is stopping and uses the smartphone as a camera to show the cyclist what’s going on behind him.
Other interesting products included a product that turned clothes into a movie theater. Whilst watching movies on the smartphone, sensors attached to the clothing give out vibrations, water vapor, smoke effect; essentially brining the 4D movie experience to each person.
In addition products like ▲LED jacket that turns music into light and vibration ▲a prosthetic arm using an electromyogram to move it ▲an exercise suit that detects regional exercise load and helps design a balanced exercise regime.
Kolon Industries Ltd. Provide the clothing for the finalists and the team that receives Kolon Special Award will be given the opportunity to commercialize the product.
2012.01.31 View 8746 -
2011 Wearable Computer Competition Participant Registration Started
The registration process for the ‘Wearable Computer Contest’ (WCC) held by KAST and Korea Next Generation Computing Institute.
The contest is the only contest that designs wearable computers in Korea. This year’s theme is ‘Smart Wear for the Smart Life’ in response to the spread of smartphones. In 2010 the contest was run cooperatively with International Symposium on Wearable Computer (ISWC) and is fast becoming an international even with students from foreign universities attending.
The participants will be putting forth an idea on wearable computers that have IT and fashion fused into it and actually produces such an outfit. The cost of producing a prototype will be provided by the holders and education of basics needed in producing a prototype like ubiquitous computing, wearable computer platform, human-computer interface, fashion and design.
The restriction of theme was taken out of the equation and in its place, an idea tank involving handing in ideas in poster format was put into place. In addition the competition is no longer limited to undergraduates or graduate students.
Detailed information on registration and of the contest itself can be found at www.ufcom.org .
2011.03.26 View 10037
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3rd Ubiquitous Fashionable Computer Contest
KAIST will be receiving until May 31, Thursday, applications for ‘the 3rd Ubiquitous Fashionable Computer (UFC)’ Contest, which will take place under the title of ‘Enjoy U-life with UFC’.
The contest has begun in 2005 by KAIST and the Korean Society for Next-Generation Computing to raise people’s concern over next-generation computing and to prepare for the upcoming ubiquitous era.
‘UFC’ refers to a wearable computer small and light enough to be worn on human bodies or clothes so that users can use computers with no restriction while moving. This terminology was created by Korea.
The contest includes designated items division and free items division, and not only university students but also general public can participate in the free items division. Teams qualified for the final contest in the designated items division will be offered wearable computer platform and 1.5 million won of production cost. The final contest will take place at the UFC fashion show stage ‘Next-Generation Computing Exhibition’ at KOEX in November.
Hee-Joon You, Co-president of the Contest Committee and a professor of Electrical Engineering, stressed on the future life made joyful by IT technologies by saying, “Considering the title of the contest, we’ve selected ‘games enjoyed with UFCs’ as a mission of the designated items division to combine games, rising software, and wearing computers, hardware.”
UFC is a brand-new field that fuses IT technologies and fashion, seeking the improvement of computer technologies and fashion creation. UFC, a further advanced wearable computer than existing ones, is an important advanced field that leads computer industries in the ubiquitous era.
2007.04.23 View 15406