A History of Wearable Technology: From First Points to Apple Watch / Madrobots Blog

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

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

First Points - 1285

The beautiful history of wearable technology began more than 700 years ago. Long before the appearance of a convex lens, nearsighted had to find original ways to improve vision. For example, Emperor Nero looked through an emerald to better see the battles 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 ): “It's not been 20 years since the art of creating glasses that help you see better ...” It turns out that the first glasses were created in Italy in 1285 year.

The oldest “smart” ring is the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911)

The next stop on our journey through the history of wearable technology will be China. A smart ring may seem unrealistic, 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 directly 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 being beneficial, this watch emphasized the status of its owner. The fact is that they were incredibly expensive due to the complexity of production and applied technologies. And so the story repeats itself: 2015, everyone is delighted with the Apple Watch.

The first fashionable technological performance - 1884

Anyone interested in fashion technology knows Cute Circuit, a company founded in 2004 by Ryan Genz in London. But how many have heard of “Electric Girls”? Quote from The Gray River Argus, Volume 31, Issue 5032, November 8, 1884, Page 1: “The luminous ballet performance of the girls made the theater more attractive. The girls were dancing with electric lights on their foreheads, and the batteries were hidden in hidden pockets of clothes ... ” As you can see, the history of NT affected the stage and catwalks 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 now you will not surprise anyone with a wearable camera. For example, pigeon photography - aerial photography using carrier pigeons, invented in 1907 by German pharmacist Julius Gustav Neubronner . An aluminum bandage was worn on a carrier pigeon, to which a light miniature camera was attached. It was used to create aerial photographs behind the front line, over enemy positions.

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

The first helmet of virtual reality - 1960

In 1960, filmmaker Heylig Morton ( Morton Heiling ) has created an exciting way to test new sensations by combining a large cinema and virtual reality, and patented stereo television helmet called "head-mounted display" ( Head A-Mounted the Display, the HMD ). In 1962, Sensorama Simulator patented (US Pat. No. 3,050,870) a virtual reality simulator with a steering wheel, binocular display, vibrating seat, stereo speakers, a cold air fan, and a nose device that generates odors. All this was activated while watching a movie and reinforced the impression of watching.

First Wearable Computer - 1960

Edward Thorp ( of Edward Thorp ) and Claude Shannon ( of Claude Shannon ), two professors of Mathematical Sciences, MIT (MIT), designed and built the first wearable computer. Their successful and revolutionary handheld development appeared in the early 60s when computers were the size of a room. The invention consisted of several devices: one was in shoes, and the other in a 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 introduced 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-carat gold for an unrealistic price of $ 3,950. However, the success was incredible, so a few months later a series of metal was released at a price of 550 dollars. The main target audience of “Calculator” was “those who have everything. To date...". Interesting fact: US President Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. wanted this watch for Christmas 1975.

First portable music player - 1979

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

The first backpack computer

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

First laptop, gaming device and helmet-mounted 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 clock stored data on appointments, addresses, phone numbers, that is, it was a complete reference. The amount of information that could be stored on the device was amazing, besides, at that time, similar Casio Databanks were very popular (Police vocalist, Sting, “lit up” with this watch in the “Wrapped Around Your Finger” clip).

Wearable technology in the early 90's

Sneaker phone. Sports Illustrated introduced this miracle in the early 90's. The device was a wired telephone and shoes - two in one.

First contactless payment device: mBracelet from Studio 5050 - 1999

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

The world's first commercial “smart” clothing - early 2000

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

The first smart glasses from Google - 2013

In fact, the invention of a smartphone with a helmet-mounted display (the first trial version of glasses from Google) did not go exactly as planned. Many were worried 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 was the first smart glasses in the world, even before the invention of Google.

Solar Energy Enters Wearable Technology Market - 2014

In 2013, the Hilfiger brand, together with the manufacturer Pavilion, launched jackets for women and men. These waterproof jackets were fixed with flexible solar panels that accumulated energy for charging gadgets. In one of the front pockets was a wire that connected 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 technologies have a beautiful past, but no matter how we try to calculate or predict, we can never foresee their future. It rolls like a wave and breaks near us, presenting us with various surprises and introducing new opportunities. Nevertheless, I see the future of built-in sensors and smart clothes, the future of fashionable technologies. The future of monitoring sensors, smart tablets, the future of digital health. The future of big data, constantly synchronized, analyzed, interpreted and used to make me, you and the whole world better.