Projects @ Wear-IT.net

Projects @ Wear-IT.net

Projects

2002

Digital Archaeological Field Assistant - PHD

Following from the final year project, James embarked on a Ph.D. study involving the wearable computer system. In fact even before the research began, off he went out into the field in Italy for a blast on an archaeological dig site out in the 40 Deg C sun. Well as it turns out a digital field assistant is an extremely powerful tool, and needs a lot of development. James is currently in his final year having been out on numerous field trips, most recently to Belgrade and Sarajevo, where mass genocide has opened up opportunities in forensic archaeology.

Some of the latest work to come out of this study is the annotation project - details of which can be found here

Co-investigators : Dr Sandra I. Woolley, Dr Chris Baber
Ph.D : James Cross
James Cross

2002

Context Modelling for Wearable Computers - PHD

Humans are intrinsically in-tune with their context and use it to adapt their behaviour continuously. However it is a very large challenge to get a computer to find the humans context and then change its (the computers) behaviour. The project researches how to use computers to model a users context in everyday life and then aid the user by changing its (the computers) behaviour. Since wearable computers are the ideal platform for this a large amount of time is spent developing wearable computers for this purpose. The latest development includes a number of 700Mhz Pentium machines well capable of coping with a host of multimedia and modelling processes.

Co-investigators : Dr Chris Baber
PhD : Huw Bristow

Huw Bristow

2003

Lab of Tommorrow

Click here for more information

Anthony Schwirtz

2002

Ambient Technologies - PHD

The user of a modern day computer system becomes the occupier of the ambient environment. The ambiance is essentially an environment that is linked to some computational power which can be distributed or not. The appliances within the ambiance and its occupiers become part of the interface to the ambiance. Instead of pointing and clicking to achieve some goal, like on a desktop, the occupier simply moves to the location of the appliance and uses it. The ambiance then performs all of the necessary real or virtual tasks required. In effect the environment becomes our 'Desktop' and we become the interface to it. The project is primarily concerned with how we interface with the ambiance and where the intelligence is situated.

Co-investigators : Dr Chris Baber, Dr Sandra Woolley ?
PhD : Anthony Schwirtz
Anthony Schwirtz

2002

The x3 Wearable System

Based on PC/104 Technologies; The x3 (CHI-3) represents the next generation of wearable system concepts from Birmingham. The motivation behind the design comes primarily from field trial feedback, which indicated deficiencies in the original design (V2 aka WearCAM). The x3 has much enhanced design with no sharp edges and very robust connectors. The Case is machined from a single block of aluminum using the latest CNC milling techniques right here in the School of Electronic & Electrical Engineering.

This design has acted as our standard hardware on to which many projects can be attached. We have projects ranging from eye-tracking to real-time terrain modelling. Future applications are likely to encompass digital context tatical information gathering for military applications amongst others.

This is part of James Cross' Ph.D. Research James Cross

James Cross

2002

LPS - Local Positioning System

Context awareness is a crucial concept for wearable computer systems, because simply making a desktop computer ultramobile makes it impossible to use. A wearable needs to be aware of its surroundings and make its own decisions, hence working on its own, keeping the interaction with the wearer down to an absolute minimum. To do this it needs to sense its environment. LPS was designed to help it sense just one of its contexts, position. Position can be obtained with varying levels of accurracy outside using GPS, however, inside GPS is problematic and a higher resolution is required. LPS attempts to address this issue by creating an Ultrasonic 3D Grid System, inside which objects can be tracked.

The LPS system has had uses for the ambient technologies that we are working on, as well as for forensic archaeology, where it can be used as a univeral measuring and positioning tool. The basic system consists of four transmitters that are placed in a square. The receiver is then attached to the wearable and position is obtained.

This is part of James Cross' Ph.D. Research

James Cross

2003

Future Technology Workshop SPY CAMERAS- James Cross / Giasemi Vavoula

Future Technology Workshop is the methodology we used with the children to design the toy-cameras, so it is "a methodology for designing creative, new activities and technologies. We have applied it in the design of new imaging technologies for children".

The technology workshop has allowed the children to go mad and design their own toys. So far some incredibly cool toys have been produced which we can't put down, never mind the children. :) Using the latest 2.4GHz wireless technologies, we have created a very small camera that can be attached to several different platforms: spy glasses, remote controlled car, submarine etc. All of these can be driven around covertly sending live images back to a computer so the child is able to be a spy in a number of different situations. What's more only one camera is needed hence keeping the costs down.

This is part of Giasemi's research with a little technology borrowed from James.

James Cross

Giasemi Vavoula

2003

In-Field Digital Annotation System Study

A digital annotation system for annotating pictures to provide generic support for many in-field applications.

Applications include Field walking, general observations, and plan-view drawing.

The plans drawings can be assisted by the use of a sophisticated geo-rectification engine, which can correct images taken from an angle in order to provide a tracing image for 1 metre plan views. This technology can also be applied to any number of images where the object is known to be square.

This is part of James' research program.

James Cross

2002

WECA PC (Web Enabled Context Aware PC)

WECA PC represents Huw Bristows baptism of fire into the world of building your own wearable systems. Huws success with the technologies is marred only by misfortune, but he does get it working even if it requires a whole roll of gaffer tape. Again this springs forth from a Final Year MEng Student project.

Imagine a world where every area of land, building and room contains information about itself and eventually where every object communicates useful information with other objects or humans. Blue Tooth has begun to address this problem but looks more at object-to-object communication and addresses less the human aspect.

The second project based on the PC/104 technology used in the WearCAM project, this project's aim is to make the life of different individuals easier, more profitable and possibly safer by providing them with real time contextual useful information...

Huw Bristow

2001

WearCAM Personal Digital Imaging Warning - Older than an old thing thats been voted oldest old thing since old things were old.

WearCAM 1999 - 2000 is James' MEng Student project. WearCAM represented Birminghams first home brewed wearable, from which a great deal of research has stemed.

This project is now very out of date, but its here because it was a milestone acheivement without which, this site and most of the rest of the research would not exist.

Other projects to follow shortly...

16 October, 2003

2002	Digital Archaeological Field Assistant - PHD Following from the final year project, James embarked on a Ph.D. study involving the wearable computer system. In fact even before the research began, off he went out into the field in Italy for a blast on an archaeological dig site out in the 40 Deg C sun. Well as it turns out a digital field assistant is an extremely powerful tool, and needs a lot of development. James is currently in his final year having been out on numerous field trips, most recently to Belgrade and Sarajevo, where mass genocide has opened up opportunities in forensic archaeology. Some of the latest work to come out of this study is the annotation project - details of which can be found here Co-investigators : Dr Sandra I. Woolley, Dr Chris Baber Ph.D : James Cross	James Cross
2002	Context Modelling for Wearable Computers - PHD Humans are intrinsically in-tune with their context and use it to adapt their behaviour continuously. However it is a very large challenge to get a computer to find the humans context and then change its (the computers) behaviour. The project researches how to use computers to model a users context in everyday life and then aid the user by changing its (the computers) behaviour. Since wearable computers are the ideal platform for this a large amount of time is spent developing wearable computers for this purpose. The latest development includes a number of 700Mhz Pentium machines well capable of coping with a host of multimedia and modelling processes. Co-investigators : Dr Chris Baber PhD : Huw Bristow	Huw Bristow
2003	Lab of Tommorrow Click here for more information	Anthony Schwirtz
2002	Ambient Technologies - PHD The user of a modern day computer system becomes the occupier of the ambient environment. The ambiance is essentially an environment that is linked to some computational power which can be distributed or not. The appliances within the ambiance and its occupiers become part of the interface to the ambiance. Instead of pointing and clicking to achieve some goal, like on a desktop, the occupier simply moves to the location of the appliance and uses it. The ambiance then performs all of the necessary real or virtual tasks required. In effect the environment becomes our 'Desktop' and we become the interface to it. The project is primarily concerned with how we interface with the ambiance and where the intelligence is situated. Co-investigators : Dr Chris Baber, Dr Sandra Woolley ? PhD : Anthony Schwirtz	Anthony Schwirtz
2002	The x3 Wearable System Based on PC/104 Technologies; The x3 (CHI-3) represents the next generation of wearable system concepts from Birmingham. The motivation behind the design comes primarily from field trial feedback, which indicated deficiencies in the original design (V2 aka WearCAM). The x3 has much enhanced design with no sharp edges and very robust connectors. The Case is machined from a single block of aluminum using the latest CNC milling techniques right here in the School of Electronic & Electrical Engineering. This design has acted as our standard hardware on to which many projects can be attached. We have projects ranging from eye-tracking to real-time terrain modelling. Future applications are likely to encompass digital context tatical information gathering for military applications amongst others. This is part of James Cross' Ph.D. Research James Cross	James Cross
2002	LPS - Local Positioning System Context awareness is a crucial concept for wearable computer systems, because simply making a desktop computer ultramobile makes it impossible to use. A wearable needs to be aware of its surroundings and make its own decisions, hence working on its own, keeping the interaction with the wearer down to an absolute minimum. To do this it needs to sense its environment. LPS was designed to help it sense just one of its contexts, position. Position can be obtained with varying levels of accurracy outside using GPS, however, inside GPS is problematic and a higher resolution is required. LPS attempts to address this issue by creating an Ultrasonic 3D Grid System, inside which objects can be tracked. The LPS system has had uses for the ambient technologies that we are working on, as well as for forensic archaeology, where it can be used as a univeral measuring and positioning tool. The basic system consists of four transmitters that are placed in a square. The receiver is then attached to the wearable and position is obtained. This is part of James Cross' Ph.D. Research	James Cross
2003	Future Technology Workshop SPY CAMERAS- James Cross / Giasemi Vavoula Future Technology Workshop is the methodology we used with the children to design the toy-cameras, so it is "a methodology for designing creative, new activities and technologies. We have applied it in the design of new imaging technologies for children". The technology workshop has allowed the children to go mad and design their own toys. So far some incredibly cool toys have been produced which we can't put down, never mind the children. :) Using the latest 2.4GHz wireless technologies, we have created a very small camera that can be attached to several different platforms: spy glasses, remote controlled car, submarine etc. All of these can be driven around covertly sending live images back to a computer so the child is able to be a spy in a number of different situations. What's more only one camera is needed hence keeping the costs down. This is part of Giasemi's research with a little technology borrowed from James.	James Cross Giasemi Vavoula
2003	In-Field Digital Annotation System Study A digital annotation system for annotating pictures to provide generic support for many in-field applications. Applications include Field walking, general observations, and plan-view drawing. The plans drawings can be assisted by the use of a sophisticated geo-rectification engine, which can correct images taken from an angle in order to provide a tracing image for 1 metre plan views. This technology can also be applied to any number of images where the object is known to be square. This is part of James' research program.	James Cross
2002	WECA PC (Web Enabled Context Aware PC) WECA PC represents Huw Bristows baptism of fire into the world of building your own wearable systems. Huws success with the technologies is marred only by misfortune, but he does get it working even if it requires a whole roll of gaffer tape. Again this springs forth from a Final Year MEng Student project. Imagine a world where every area of land, building and room contains information about itself and eventually where every object communicates useful information with other objects or humans. Blue Tooth has begun to address this problem but looks more at object-to-object communication and addresses less the human aspect. The second project based on the PC/104 technology used in the WearCAM project, this project's aim is to make the life of different individuals easier, more profitable and possibly safer by providing them with real time contextual useful information...	Huw Bristow
2001	WearCAM Personal Digital Imaging Warning - Older than an old thing thats been voted oldest old thing since old things were old. WearCAM 1999 - 2000 is James' MEng Student project. WearCAM represented Birminghams first home brewed wearable, from which a great deal of research has stemed. This project is now very out of date, but its here because it was a milestone acheivement without which, this site and most of the rest of the research would not exist.