In a world that might be around the corner, an elderly widower can continue his relationship with a dearly departed spouse. He turns on the television and there she is in high-definition, gesturing and talking back and even breathing in the way she had in real life.
Steve Huang (黃宏旭), vice president of Taiwan’s AiQ Smart Clothing, said the idea isn’t at all farfetched. The technology required includes an intelligent software application like Siri, voice recording and video, all currently available. Smart clothing, which the couple wears during life, can unobtrusively capture a wealth of biofeedback that is later used to build a convincing hologram.
“We offer enabling technology. A service company can come in and pull all the tools together and you get a virtual spouse,” Huang said.
Photo Courtesy of Brain Rhythm Inc.
“Or, if you are already tired of the old guy, you can choose a very handsome actor or a very sexy lady.”
Huang is a new player in wearable technologies, one of the tech world’s fast-growing sectors.
In the US, funding in wearables grew 80 percent between 2012 and last year, and rose another 38 percent this year in the first four months alone, according to latest available data from analyst firm CB Insight.
Photo Courtesy of Brain Rhythm Inc.
“This field is a very big opportunity … We got serious about smart clothing one, two years ago. Thought the time was ripe,” said Huang, whose professional experience had been in metal fiber technologies.
The global wearables market is now filled with formidable giants like Google with Google Glass and Apple with Apple Watch, plus startups with products ranging from a ring that turns pages in an e-book reader to a hairband that sends out an SOS call when it senses the user is under assault.
WARMING TO WEARABLES
Photo Courtesy of AiQ Smart Clothing
In Taiwan, the tech sector is warming to the concept. Both Acer, HTC and Asus have announced interest in entering the wearables market, and rumors are that Asus will launch ZenWatch in Taiwan next month.
Local startups, too, are eyeing a slice of the market. At Taipei’s Wearables Technologies Conference earlier this month, Rooti Labs CEO Michael Lee (黎克邁) brought two devices: W/Me, a bluetooth enabled “breathing coach” for mental health; and CliMate, a wearable “Personal Weatherman” that monitors humidity, UV index and temperature.
From Hsinchu Science Park, general manager Lu Shao-wei (呂紹瑋) of Brain Rhythm Inc. announced the release of the first made-in-Taiwan brain monitoring headset, which retails to developers for US$899 at the end of the month.
Photo Courtesy of AiQ Smart Clothing
Traditional brain recorders use wet sensors that require direct contact with the scalp to achieve a signal, Lu said.
Since their new device uses dry electrodes, as well as Bluetooth data transmission, it can record brain activity while sitting on top of a head like a hat. It can also be worn outside of the lab, which opens up a range of daily-life applications, he said.
At work, it can detect drowsiness and alarm the user. In the morning, it can detect the health of the brain and what it needs to be in tip-top form.
Photo: Enru lin, taipei times
“When you don’t know what breakfast to buy, EEG can help you to detect what you should buy today,” he said.
Sounds like a godsend, or maybe not. Skepticism over wearables mainly comes down to worries that the devices can get invasive.
Huang, who believes smart clothing can save lives if bus drivers are required to wear them, said Taiwanese society at large may not yet be prepared to embrace his shirts.
“It’s a legal issue. The laws are strict, society is conservative,” he said.
“Taiwan’s market might take some time to develop. But wearables should be popular everywhere, sooner or later.”
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