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Sony Patents a Wireless Smart Wig |
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 "Wearable
computing device, comprising a wig that is adapted to cover at least
a part of a head of a user, at least one sensor for providing input
data, a processing unit that is coupled to the at least one sensor for
processing said input data, and a communication interface that is coupled
to the processing unit for communicating with a second computing device.
The[sic*] at least one sensor, the processing unit
and the communication interface are arranged in the wig and at least
partly covered by the wig in order to be visually hidden during use."
That is the description of patent application #20130311132 submitted
to the
USPTO by Sony Corporation on November 21st of this year. Features
include, but are not limited to, wireless communications from an onboard
microprocessor to a remote processor, electro-mechanical actuators for
transmitting tactile feedback to the wearer, sensors for monitoring
vital parameters, a GPS position sensor, pushbutton device permitting
the wearer to exercise some form of control over the wig, the ability
to determine whether the wig is properly positioned on the wearer's
head, and an electro-shock transducer for administering disciplinary
actions as needed by the remote controller. Ok, I made that last one
up, but rumor has it the government-issued models will incorporate such
a capability (I made that up, too). Combine the Sony Wig (I officially
dub it a "SWIG") with Google Glass and a robotic exoskeleton and you
can throw away the high-maintenance human that normally goes with it.
I couldn't help noticing per the patent images that Sony has plans for wigs to fit White males and Black females, so I'm wondering whether the sensors and actuators as well as the software/firmware are race and gender specific? If not, then why didn't they depict a PC-approved androgynous-looking humanoid as is the popular trend? Yuk. * This is a typo in the verbatim text from the official USPTO document.
Posted November 28, 2013 |
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