DIY wearable computer: now you don't have to go to MIT to look like a total nerd in public

We admit it: despite our general disregard for the benefits of higher education, we've always harbored deep jealousy for those incredibly intelligent jerks at MIT's Media Lab, traipsing around Massachusetts in their incredibly great wearable computers. Well, now that a MicroPCTalk forum member has built his very own wearable computer from a few spare parts lying around the house, we can finally put aside those futile dreams and get to work on our very own nerd-badge-of-honor. Mr. Fiveseven808 took a VAIO UX, Myvu Crystal wearable display, a bevy of Bluetooth peripherals and a iDEN i425 handset for connectivity. Sadly, his UX has since died, but there's more UMPC where that can, and those elitist MIT types can't keep us down forever.

[Via SlashGear]

[table Posted Jul 25th 2009 10:10PM]

actually, in general most MIT students stay around the general Boston area, which sucks because down here on cape cod all we have are some fishing boats and WHOI. I personally would love to see some robots waltzing around.

[thorn22 Posted Jul 25th 2009 10:36PM]

It would be so much cooler if had one of those translucent screens integrated into the glasses.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 25th 2009 11:05PM]

He'll be back!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 25th 2009 11:08PM]

GO TEAM!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 26th 2009 12:16AM]

omg! the glasses are just equal mine! i want it on my glassesss!

[Bash23 Posted Jul 26th 2009 1:24AM]

Over 9000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Phoenixfury Posted Jul 26th 2009 3:18AM]

The Borg had to get their start somewhere. LOL

[Toy Yoda Posted Jul 26th 2009 3:34AM]

Many car manufacturers have developed the technology of head up displays. The technology involves projecting an image onto the glass windshield. Why can't they do that here? Instead of turning a display inward like they do. That would make it more fashiable to wear. The projector can be on the glass' arm. and projected onto the lens.

[Benson Posted Jul 26th 2009 4:46AM]

The reason nobody does that is the same reason I never wash my glasses. ;)

See, you can't focus on something an inch from your eye; the dirt on my glasses is so blurred as to pose negligible hindrance to vision, and any image projected onto my glasses would be so blurred as to pose negligible legibility. A physical screen on such a short boom wouldn't be much use either, so that's not what this is.

Projecting it onto your eye, as Hollywood so often shows, won't quite work, either, but it's getting closer; in reality you project a virtual image out in space, several feet in front of you, where you can not only focus on it (4 inches is enough for that), but simultaneously maintain reasonable focus on the projected display and objects in the environment that you see through or around the display.

[Toy Yoda Posted Jul 26th 2009 5:55AM]

Well, yes, I understand you can't focus on an image that's about .5 - 1 inch away from your eyeball. I'm talking about having a projector project onto your lens, an image that can be clearly seen if you focus -as you have said- 4 to 12 inches ahead of you. Car HUDs can do this now. It's just a matter of miniaturization. Anyways, that would largely solve the fashion problem.

But, I"m sure you'll have other problems, one of which is people will find it rude seeing a projector flashing light at them. And pedestrians that get into accidents because they haven't been paying attention; such ills will be common complaints on engadget, maybe 20 years from now.

But I have a sci-fi horror solution to that. We are coming on technology that allow the paralyzed to walk by acting like the neurons that fire and coordinate the limbs. Why not have the same technology walk and drive for healthy people when they want to focus on fielding a cell phone call, reading an e book, or using one of these projector thingies? Think about it. You can walk at a fast pace in Grand Central Station, totally focused on tetris and never bump into a person. Just more ways to isolate yourself.

[Denji Posted Jul 26th 2009 1:00PM]

I love it how everyone is going 'Would've been cool if the glasses had translucent screens' or 'it's big and bulky and ugly' or 'I can't wait until '..

Does everyone ignore the fact that this was just an experiment/hobby sort of thing, and, that it's likely this guy does not have enough money for all of those stupid fancy things you wish it had? He is doing this himself, not for all of you. I'm sure he did it this way for his own reasons.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 26th 2009 10:23PM]

Power level @ 300,000!!!!