Summary
Objectives:
Wearable systems can be broadly defined as mobile electronic devices that can be
unobtrusively embedded in the user’s outfit as part of the clothing or an accessory.
In particular, unlike conventional mobile systems, they can be operational and accessed
without or with very little hindrance to user activity. To this end they are able
to model and recognize user activity, state, and the surrounding situation: a property,
referred to as context sensitivity. Wearable systems range from micro sensors seamlessly
integrated in textiles through consumer electronics embedded in fashionable clothes
and computerized watches to belt worn PCs with a head mounted display. The wearable
computing concept is part of a broader framework of ubiquitous computing that aims
at invisibly enhancing our environment with smart electronic devices.
The goal of the paper is to provide a broad overview of wearable technology and its
implications for health related applications.
Methods:
We begin by summarizing the vision behind wearable computing. We then describe a
framework for wearable computing architecture and the main technological aspects.
Finally we show how specific properties of wearable systems can be used in different
health related application domains.
Results:
Wearable computing is an emerging concept building upon the success of today’s mobile
computing and communication devices. Due to rapid technological progress it is currently
making a transition from a pure research stage to practical applications. Many of
those applications are in health related domains, in particular, health monitoring,
mobile treatment and nursing.
Conclusions:
Within the next couple of years wearable systems and more general ubiquitous computing
will introduce profound changes and new application types to health related systems.
In particular they will prove useful in improving the quality and reducing the cost
of caring for the aging population.
Keywords
Mobile computing - wearable computing - ambient systems - health monitoring - assistive
technologies - context awareness
