He calls both of these things precursors to wearable computers. Xybernaut's new product, called the Mobile Assistant IV, lets the user control it with voice commands. It includes a headset and, carried on the belt, a compact computer on the belt with a Pentium 233 MMX processor. Many initial uses relate to maintenance and the military. In Germany, auto maker Daimler-Benz is testing Xybernaut's product at one of its plants.
Technicians checking welds use it to analyze and communicate about problems that they find.
The Boeing Co. in Seattle is testing another firm's wearable with some of its airline mechanics, says Chris Esposito of the wearable computer group at Boeing. The mechanics use the portable units to view diagrams so they don't have to leaf through manuals while working on airplanes. Wearables come in many other forms. Albacomp Computers Corp., a Hungarian firm that exhibited at the conference, designs eyeglasses that have tiny video monitors in the center. Hooked to a video camera, the glasses allow the wearer to observe the video and still have a clear view to, say, work, take notes, or carry on a conversation.