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328Appears IBM Systems Journal, Vol. 35, No. 3 & 4

Human Powered Wearable Computing

Thad Starner
Perceptual Computing Section, The Media Laboratory,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Room E15-383, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge MA 02139, USA
E-mail: thad@media.mit.edu

Abstract:

Batteries add size, weight, and inconvenience to present day mobile computers. This paper explores the possibility of harnessing the energy expended during the user's everyday actions to generate power for his computer, thus eliminating the impediment of batteries. An analysis of power generation through leg motion is presented in depth, and a survey of less practical methods such as generation by breath or blood pressure, body heat, and finger and limb motion is also presented.





Thad E Starner
Sat Nov 9 10:14:22 EST 1996