Researchers in Japan are now testing a very small computer that can fit into the human ear.
As wearable technology explodes, particularly in the form of smartwatches, researchers in Japan are taking things a step further and are developing a tiny personal computer that a user can wear in his or her ear.
Users would control this device with a click of the tongue or a blink of the eye.
This wearable technology weighs only 17 grams and is completely wireless. It uses Bluetooth to connect with other devices and is equipped with a battery, speaker, microphone, compass, GPS, barometer, and gyro-sensor. Computing in the form of wearables is believed to be the latest thing in tech, but this latest development is easily among the smallest and most hands-free that has made its way to the headlines.
Other forms of wearable technology are notably larger, such as Google Glass, and Samsung Galaxy Gear 2.
This particular wearable technology for the ear is being called the “Earclip-type Wearable PC”, for the moment. It has microchip and data storage, which gives users the ability to load software. This, according to Kazuhiro Taniguchi, an engineer at the Hiroshima City University. The designs for the device are based on the traditional Japanese flower arrangements known as “ikebana”.
Taniguchi explained that the team of mobile developers created the device so that people would be able to think of wearing it in the same way that they would think about wearing earrings. The prototype for the gadget was demonstrated in black and had an overall comparable look to the sports style earbuds that wrap around the ear, or a single ear telephone headset.
The researchers are working to have this wearable technology ready by the holiday shopping season in 2015. At that time, users will be able to connect the device to their mobile devices such as an iPod or other gadgets that allow the user to navigate through various apps. All the user will need to do is change his or her facial expression, such as through a nose wiggle, a tongue movement, a raised brow, or even clenched teeth. Within the device inside the ear, infrared sensors detect the facial movements and respond accordingly.
The handset maker isn’t about to be left behind in this massive wearable technology trend.
Motorola is now planning to leap right back into the wearable tech market, as it plans to launch its own smartwatches later on in 2014, according to an announcement that was made by Rick Osterloh, the company’s senior vice president.
This particular device is being designed to meet the needs that consumers have already expressed that they have.
According to Osterloh, the smartwatches that Motorola will be launching will have taken into account “consumer issues like style and battery life.” So far, those are both areas where companies have been struggling to keep up with the expectations that consumers have regarding these devices and their willingness to pay rather high price tags in order to obtain them. The announcement was made in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress, during a panel discussion.
These new smartwatches will not be the first time that Motorola has attempted to sell wearable technology.
That said, it is certain that Motorola is hoping that its future attempts with wearables will be far more successful than its previous ones. The MotoACTV was one of the last mobile devices that Motorola had launched that could be worn by the owner. It was an activity tracker that simply never caught on because of its weak battery life and its lack of visual appeal and style. Though the company had previously stepped back from this area, it is clear that it did not fail to closely examine the experience and to attempt to learn from its mistakes.
That said, it won’t be until the actual launch of the devices that the company will actually be able to prove whether or not it has managed to overcome the obstacles that held it back in the first place. Osterloh did not offer any additional details regarding the products themselves, nor anything that the consumer can expect from the release, such as price or the actual date that they will hit the shelves. However, he did point out that the company feels that this will be a very important area for its future.
This does not come as a surprise as wearable technology such as smartwatches is one of the hottest tech segments at the moment. In the middle of the spotlight, right now, are the Galaxy Gear devices from Samsung, as well as Pebble. That said, Apple is expected to come out with an iWatch at some point in the near future – if rumors are to be believed – and it shouldn’t be long before Google releases its own wearable that will have been manufactured by LG.
