WEARABLE COMPUTING

CYBERSALON
@ THE DANA CENTRE

Tuesday, 18th January 2005, 7-9pm
The Dana Centre, 165 Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 5HE <www.danacentre.org.uk>
Cost: This event is free but places must be booked
by calling 020 7942 4040 or by emailing: <tickets[AT]danacentre.org.uk>
Nearest tubes: South Kensington/Gloucester Road

MORE DETAILS HERE

It seems as if the idea of fusing man and machine is such a powerful and
problematic metaphor that it must always remain within the realm of
the imaginary. Michael Gibbs

How close are we to the vision of an everyday body-worn computer? How
might these 'intelligent assistants' - always on, always online and always
accessible - alter our relationship with one another, and furthermore
with ourselves? Will wearable computing shape our roles in the same way
as uniforms defined social and cultural roles in the past? Will the 'augmented
reality' which wearables offer eclipse reality itself? With Sci-Fi's
cyborg remaining a distant fantasy, to what extent are our bodies already
wearing digital systems in the form of pocket-born mobiles phones and
PDA's, neck-slung iPods and rucksack-stowed wireless laptops?

We introduce the ongoing work of wearables godfather Steve Mann, whose
eyeglass-monitor WearComps define the field. We broaden his notion of
the wearable a s an interactional computer synergised with the personal
space of the user , and examine the vast range of other body-proximate
technologies. From responsive clubwear and intelligent battlefield combatgear,
to locative media artworks and smart-remote medical monitoring systems,
wearability emerges as a key site in the field of human/technology interaction.

Cybersalon hosts an evening of presentation, demonstration and discussion
to investigate the current state and future potential of wearable computer
devices. Using its trademark discussion format and complemented by the
Dana Centre's state of the art technological resources, we assemble a
panel of artists, researchers and commercial developers to explore and
respond to these questions - including Suzanne Lee ,
Senior Research Fellow in Fashion at Central Saint Martins College of
Art & Design, British artist and cyborg Rokeby and Matty
Bickerton & Andrew Moore both formerly
of the Wearable Technologies Team at Phillips Research Labs - chaired
by Monica Biagioli, artist and Senior
Lecturer at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design.  The evening
starts with a series of informal workshops exploring the theme including
a presentation of research from PhD student Lisa Stead - 'The
Emotional Wardrobe': A Fashion Perspective on the Integration of Technology
.

We want you to contribute ideas, raise questions and respond to the
issues via an online WIKI and to bring your wireless handheld and laptop
devices to the event to contribute to the ongoing discussion throughout
the evening. Questions can be put to the panel via email in advance of
and during the event: <questions[AT]cybersalon.org >.