Wearable Computing at the MIT Media Lab

The MIThril Vest brings a soft, modular approach to wearable computer design. A load-bearing inner vest with velcro attachment points holds the wearable's hardware components and zips into a variety of outer garments. The hardware, which consists of both repackaged, off-the-shelf hardware and custom fabricated components, forms a distributed system of processors, storage, wireless transceivers, and sensors. The MIThril body-bus supports several data and power lines and uses high insertion cycle connectors to connect components. The software is modular and distributed as well, using the Enchantment interprocess communication architecture to connect sensors, applications, and output.

The principal designers of the MIThril Vest were Rich DeVaul, Steve Schwartz, and Josh Weaver. Other contributors include Daniel Barkalow, Steve Dunn, Chris Elledge, and Jonathan Gips.

Lizzy

The Lizzy was a PC/104 based wearable designed by Thad Starner. The wearable was worn around the waist and featured a Twiddler for input and HMD for output.

The Body Electric

This February 1998, at the Networked Entertainment World conference in Hollywood, CA., Prof. Alex Pentland together with students and faculty from the California Institute for the Arts, presented a series of dance and performace pieces entitled "The Body Electric," which explored the theme of wearable computings impact on on the performance arts.

Beauty and the Bits

A wearable computing fashion show at the Media Laboratory, Oct. 15, 1997 in cooperation with Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, Creapole in Paris, Domus in Milan, and the Parsons School of Design in New York.

MIT Wearables, Version 1.0

Left-top to bottom right: Rehmi Post, Thad Starner , Jennifer Healey, Lenny Foner, Dana Kirsch, Bradley Rhodes, Travell Perkins, Tony Jebara
Not pictured: Richard W. DeVaul, Nitin Sawhney, Maggie Orth , Steve Schwartz, Chris Metcalfe, Kevin Pipe, Joshua Weaver, Pamela Mukerji
Alumni: Thad Starner , Steve Mann
For professional quality images of research/equipment/people contact independent photographer Sam Ogden and our Communications and Sponsor Relations (CASR) group.


Home Themes People Platforms Design Collaborations Events Papers History Code Borglab wiki Human Dynamics Group "A Brief History of Wearable Computing" timeline	MIThril Vest The MIThril Vest brings a soft, modular approach to wearable computer design. A load-bearing inner vest with velcro attachment points holds the wearable's hardware components and zips into a variety of outer garments. The hardware, which consists of both repackaged, off-the-shelf hardware and custom fabricated components, forms a distributed system of processors, storage, wireless transceivers, and sensors. The MIThril body-bus supports several data and power lines and uses high insertion cycle connectors to connect components. The software is modular and distributed as well, using the Enchantment interprocess communication architecture to connect sensors, applications, and output. The principal designers of the MIThril Vest were Rich DeVaul, Steve Schwartz, and Josh Weaver. Other contributors include Daniel Barkalow, Steve Dunn, Chris Elledge, and Jonathan Gips.
	Lizzy The Lizzy was a PC/104 based wearable designed by Thad Starner. The wearable was worn around the waist and featured a Twiddler for input and HMD for output.
	The Body Electric This February 1998, at the Networked Entertainment World conference in Hollywood, CA., Prof. Alex Pentland together with students and faculty from the California Institute for the Arts, presented a series of dance and performace pieces entitled "The Body Electric," which explored the theme of wearable computings impact on on the performance arts.
	Beauty and the Bits A wearable computing fashion show at the Media Laboratory, Oct. 15, 1997 in cooperation with Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, Creapole in Paris, Domus in Milan, and the Parsons School of Design in New York.
	MIT Wearables, Version 1.0 Left-top to bottom right: Rehmi Post, Thad Starner , Jennifer Healey, Lenny Foner, Dana Kirsch, Bradley Rhodes, Travell Perkins, Tony Jebara Not pictured: Richard W. DeVaul, Nitin Sawhney, Maggie Orth , Steve Schwartz, Chris Metcalfe, Kevin Pipe, Joshua Weaver, Pamela Mukerji Alumni: Thad Starner , Steve Mann For professional quality images of research/equipment/people contact independent photographer Sam Ogden and our Communications and Sponsor Relations (CASR) group.