History of wearable technology: from first points to Apple Watch

What is wearable technology? Who invented them? What is their future? Most often, the term “wearable technology” is associated by most people with fitness trackers, smart watches or Google glasses. But there is a clear distinction between wearable devices and wearable technology (hereinafter - NT). This article is an attempt to find answers to the above questions.

NTs appeared much earlier than you can imagine. Long before the appearance of Google glasses and “glasshole” (a man with glasses who is so absorbed in what is happening on the screen that he does not notice anything around him, and because of this he looks like an idiot - approx. Transl. ) The monocle was invented - one of the first devices designed to enhance comfort in exploring the world and improving its perception.

First points - 1285

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The beautiful history of wearable technology began more than 700 years ago. Long before the appearance of a convex lens, myopic had to find original ways to improve their vision. For example, the emperor Nero looked through the emerald to better see the fights of his gladiators. Therefore, we can safely say that the history of wearable technology begins with the first points. According to a record left on February 23, 1306 by Dominican monk Giordano da Pisa ( Giordano da Pisa ): “Less than 20 years have passed since the art of creating glasses, which help to see better ...” So, the first glasses were created in Italy in 1285

The oldest "clever" ring is the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911)

The next stop on our journey through the history of wearable technology will be China. The “smart” ring may seem unreal, but surprisingly, this technology is nothing new. Even before the invention of calculator watches, such rings existed. One of them was the so-called ring-abacus. The gadget contained tiny scores (1.2 cm long and 0.7 cm wide) that could be worn right on the finger. The device was invented during the reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911).

The first portable watch - 1505

Let's go to Germany. Pomader (Bisamapfeluhr), invented in 1505, can be called the first portable watch. They were very bulky and inaccurate compared to modern ones. However, instead of benefiting, this watch emphasized the status of its owner. The fact is that they were incredibly expensive due to the complexity of production and the technologies used. And now the story repeats: 2015, everyone is delighted with the Apple Watch.

The first fashionable technological performance - 1884

Anyone who is interested in fashion technology knows Cute Circuit - a company founded in 2004 by Ryan Genz in London. But how many have heard about the “Electric Girls”? A quote from The Gray River Argus, vol. 31, issue 5032, dated November 8, 1884, page 1: “The luminous ballet performance of girls has increased the attractiveness of the theatrical scene. The girls danced with electric lights on their foreheads, and the batteries were hidden in secret pockets of clothing ... ”. As you can see, the history of NT affected the podiums and podiums of New York many years ago.

First wearable camera - 1907

Now everyone knows and loves the GoPro action camera. As stated above, the story repeats itself, so with a wearable camera today you will not surprise anyone. Here, for example, pigeon photography - aerial photography using post pigeons, invented in 1907 by German pharmacist Julius Neubronner ( Julius Gustav Neubronner ). An aluminum bandage was attached to the carrier pigeon, to which was attached a light miniature camera. It was used to create aerial photographs behind the front line, above enemy positions.

Now back in our time. Did you know that the British team developed a system for protecting wild rhinos using a combination of hidden cameras, GPS trackers and heart rate sensors inside the rhino horn?

First Virtual Reality Helmet - 1960

In 1960, filmmaker Morton Heiling created an exciting way to test new sensations, combining great cinema and virtual reality, and patented a stereo television helmet called “ Head-Mounted Display, HMD ). In 1962, “Sensorama Simulator” patented (US Patent No. 3,050,870) a virtual reality simulator with a steering wheel, a binocular display, a vibrating seat, stereo speakers, a cold air fan and a nose device that generates odors. All this was triggered while watching a movie and reinforced the viewing experience.

First wearable computer - 1960

Edward Thorp and Claude Shannon, two professors of mathematical sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), designed and constructed the first wearable computer. Their successful and revolutionary handheld design appeared in the early 60s, when computers were the size of a room. The invention consisted of several devices: one was in the shoe and the other in the cigarette case. The gadget helped mathematicians predict the outcome of a roulette game.

The first wristwatch with a calculator - 1975

“Calculator” - the first wrist calculator, which was presented by the company “Pulsar” back in 1975 on the eve of Christmas. The first batch of “Limited Edition” of 100 devices was available in 18-gold for an unreal price of $ 3,950. Nevertheless, the success was incredible, so a few months later a metal series was released at a price of $ 550. The main target audience of the Calculator were those who have everything. To date...". An interesting fact: US President Gerald Ford ( Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ) wanted this watch for 1975 Christmas.

First Portable Music Player - 1979

Personal music players in the lives of people simply did not exist, at least they were not mainstream. Until Sony broke into with its Walkman. The first of Sony's legendary cassette players went on sale on July 1, 1979 at a cost of $ 150, shook the recording industry and radically changed the way people perceived music. Sounds familiar?

The first computer backpack

While still in high school, Steve Mann ( Steve Mann ) attached a 6502 processor (the same as the Apple II) to a metal backpack with a steel frame for controlling flashes, cameras and other photo equipment. The display device was a CRT camera viewfinder, mounted on a helmet, which could fit 40 lines of text. Microswitches were built into the body of the flash, and the entire system (including the flash) worked on lead-acid batteries.

The first portable computer, gaming device and helmet display

The 80s and 90s were the starting point in the history of wearable computers. The first of them, which made a big impact on the market, went on sale in the late 70s. In 1977, Hewlett Packard introduced its first calculator watch, the top model could be bought for $ 850 (in 2014, the amount is equivalent to $ 3,300). In addition to the functions of the calculator, the watch stored information about meetings, addresses, telephone numbers, that is, they were a full reference. The amount of information that could be stored on the device was shocking, and at the time, similar Casio Databank was very popular (Vocalist of the Police, Sting, “lit up” with this watch in the clip “Wrapped Around Your Finger”).

Wearable technology in the early 90s

Telephone sneaker. Sports Illustrated presented this miracle in the early 90s. The device consisted of a wired phone and shoes - two in one.

The first contactless payment device: mBracelet from Studio 5050 - 1999

The prototype was developed in 1999 in New York Studio 5050, but never entered the market and sank into oblivion. The Apple Watch has Apple Pay and colorful straps. mBracelet also had all this, but at that time the bracelet was too innovative.

The world's first commercial "smart" clothing - the beginning of 2000

“Philips technology is in every shirt and skirt!” Was the slogan of the wearable electronics giant in the late 90s. Collaboration with Levi's showed the world the first fashionable commercial "smart" clothes - ICD + jacket. A telephone, MP3 player and headphones were built into it, and it was possible to switch between them using a separate button. The project was led by designer Massimo Osti, the guru of “smart” clothes.

Google's first smart glasses - 2013

In fact, the invention of the smartphone with the helmet-mounted display (the first trial version of glasses from Google) did not go quite as planned. Many were concerned about the invasion of personal space, and those who wore this helmet complained of headaches and even dependence on the device after prolonged use. Vizux claims that the Vizux M100 model was the world's first smart glasses, even before the invention of Google.

Solar energy enters the wearable technology market - 2014

In 2013, the Hilfiger brand together with the manufacturer Pavilion launched jackets for women and men. On these waterproof jackets were fixed flexible solar panels, which accumulated energy for charging gadgets. In one of the front pockets was a wire that was attached to the battery. There was also a dual USB port, which allowed charging two devices at the same time.

Wearable technology and wearable fashion - 2015

Wearable technology has a beautiful past, but no matter how hard we try to calculate or predict, we can never foresee their future. It rolls like a wave, and breaks down next to us, presenting us with various surprises and introducing new possibilities. Nevertheless, I see the future of embedded sensors and smart clothes, the future of fashionable technologies. The future of monitoring sensors, smart pills, the future of digital health. The future of big data, constantly synchronized, analyzed, interpreted and used to make better me, you and the whole world.