An architecture concept for ubiquitous computing aware wearable computers

Abstract

In Marc Weiser's (1991) vision of ubiquitous computing, users are located in an environment with potentially thousands of computers around them. Many capabilities of these smart devices can be used only by augmenting the users' senses with a kind of "sixth electronic sense". Thus, ubiquitous computing and wearable computing complement one another. However, the architectural styles for them are quite different. The paper presents a flexible and modular network-centered approach for the design of wearable computers. In our concept, a wearable computer is composed of a network of modules. A module can be worn by the user or be stationary in the user's environment. Each is a separate unit with its own processing, memory, I/O, power, and network connection, and provides specific functionality in the network. The modules reveal their abilities and needs to each other and dynamically assemble to form a network-based wearable multi-computer. Our concept has been used in the DWARF framework to build a first prototype system for indoor and outdoor navigation.