Gargoyle in Your Pocket: the Future of Wearables

As producer and host of the SIGGRAPH Cyberfashion Show from 2002 through 2005, I had the opportunity to try almost every major commercial wearable computer system that’s ever been on the market. Some worked well, others were highly problematic, but all failed to create any noticeable consumer base. Yet even before I watched these products fail, I had an inkling that their general approach– shrinking a laptop down to wearable scale– was less effective than the possibilities for expanding up from mobile phones. The accelerating evolution of the mobile platform over the last few years supports this thesis, however few products have yet capitalized on the potential to transform the current race of high end smart phones into fully integrated and truly mobile information and communication systems. My talk will start with a brief overview of wearable computer history, covering both commercial systems and peripherals as well as some famous homemade rigs. From there I’ll move on to some currently available accessories and DIY approaches that might help transform you and your phone into a Neal Stephenson style gargoyle. I’ll finish up with imaginings for the future: What hardware and software will need to be developed for the most effective functionality? What role will style have in developing a strong consumer base for this new breed of gargoyle systems? What can we do to bring this nascent geek fantasy to life?

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