Wearable computers are the closest thing to cyborgs that will be seen in the coming years:
By Elihai Vidal
Wearable computers are the closest thing to cyborgs that we will see in the next few years: since it is not yet possible to make humanoid robots, the closest thing to that is robot-like humans. Instead of dressing the robot in human skin, the human is dressed in robot skin.
The American company Cybernaut recently introduced the second generation of Mobile Assistant (MA): a laptop computer with a Pentium 233 processor, a color monitor, a keyboard and a special helmet with headphones, a microphone, a video camera and a tiny screen (about 2.5 cm), on which the screen image is projected The tiny monitor is suspended by a small lever in front of one of the eyes and simulates a 15-inch computer screen.
Sleeves or straps are attached to each of the components, allowing them to be worn on the body: the keyboard on the right wrist, for example, the screen on the left wrist and the computer itself (and its battery) in special pockets sewn into the suit. The computer has integrated voice activation software to save unnecessary typing of commands. The computer supports all Windows operating systems, and recently also the Linux system (according to the company's personnel, the adaptation to Linux was requested due to the demand of many customers, mainly in Europe, and was made possible thanks to the natural compatibility of the operating system with many network applications). In addition, the system allows a cellular connection to the network (internet or intranet). With the help of the camera in the helmet, it is possible to broadcast the sights visible to the wearer of the computer to anyone who wants it, or set the camera at the back of the head and broadcast to the monitor what is happening behind.
Most MA buyers today are car manufacturers, shipping companies and the space industry, who equip their production workers with the wearable computer. Thus, instead of spreading out in the area of spacious drawing pages, or walking around with heavy binders of technical specifications, the employees can retrieve all the data from the computer's memory or connect to the company's private network.
However, the price of the wearable computer - about 10,000 dollars - does not deter even computer fanatics, who must feel their computer with every inch of their limbs. It seems that today is not far off, and we will see bus passengers doing their homework On the keyboard sewn into their shirt sleeve, or sitting in coffee shops watching their favorite TV show on a tiny TV screen hanging above their right eye.
