• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.464-472
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• 2008

Wearable computer focuses on functional aspects of fashion to respond to and satisfy needs for daily availability of ubiquitous environment owing to ever-developing digital technologies. The purpose of this study is to examine in possible developmental direction of wearable computer and thereby explore more promising directions of wearable computer to enhance its adaptability to future advanced ubiquitous environment and also satisfy both esthetical and functional needs. Now the wearable computer can be classified broadly into 3 types in the aspect of functionality, i.e. computer containing 'integratability', 'convertibility' and 'interactability'. Beyond simple portability concepts based on digital devices attached on body, it will be necessary that follow-up studies on wearable computer satisfy needs for enhanced digital functionality to comply with ubiquitous environment as well as emotional needs inherent in clothing. It is expected that possibility of future wearable computer will be extended via collaborative relationships between design and functionality, and should be implemented through possible points of contact among computer, telecommunication, design and fashion. Based on the findings of this study, it is expected that follow-up researches and developments for wearable computer to meet both functionality and esthetical values in the aspect of 'fashion design combined with electronic products' will help assure the variety of fashion designs for wearable computer contributing to better life quality of human in future ubiquitous environment.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.173-182
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• 2007

The concept of wearable computer says to be able to connect to network freely without restrict of place and time through the garment that contain the wire and circuit. Thereby we can realize the ubiquitous circumstances. Wearable computer plays a role of center in controlling the electronic equipments under the ubiquitous circumstances and also it will become the main stream of the future computer development. The current wearable computer displays ugly appearance by attaching the parts of computer on the garment instead of installing them in the box. However, as size of computer components are minimized and it's speed is getting faster, it is certain that wearable computer will evolve as fashionable computer, still retaining garment's original purpose such as fitting and fasion even though the computer is being installed to the clothing. This study reviewed about components, future market share, developed goods, human-being becoming cyborg, application area, restrict and on-going research of wearable computer.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1155-1172
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• 2009

Wearable computers can be defined as next generation clothing integrated with various digital functions and devices. Unlike existing computers, they are viewed as human-centric computers customized for information utilization and other specific human needs. This study is intended to discover how consumers are accepting wearable computers, which are different from existing computers, based on Technology Acceptance Model(TAM) and to extend the model by adding variable regarding acceptance of wearable computers. A total of 683 copies of questionnaires, distributed to those aged 19 and older, both male and female, were collected online. The data was statistically analyzed for this study using the extended TAM. In order to test hypotheses, the structural equation model using the Lisrel 8.30 version was performed. For analyzing constructs(or traits) of research model, exploratory factor was conducted and the measurement model was assessed from the result. Reliability was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis and the calculation of Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Overall, model fit was assessed by statistical indexes: Chi-square value, GFI, AGFI, and RMR. This study analyzed the process of acceptance of wearable computers with the extended TAM that includes a variable, perceived value, on the basis of previous studies. The results of the analysis revealed that attitude toward wearable computer was directly influenced by perceived usefulness and perceived value but indirectly influenced by perceived ease of use. Acceptance intention of the wearable computer was directly influenced by perceived value and attitude toward wearable computer. To be more specific, perceived usefulness was significantly correlated with both attitude toward wearable computer and acceptance intention of the wearable computer. Perceived value was also significantly correlated with both attitude toward wearable computer and acceptance intention of the wearable computer. The results of this study also suggested that perceived ease of use was actually a causal antecedent to perceived usefulness and perceived value. This research revealed that extended TAM to investigate the acceptance of wearable computer was appropriate. This study is intended to provide a theoretical framework for adoption of wearable computer and suggest empirical analysis that can serve as a guide for wearable computer.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.531-540
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• 2015

Objective: The objective of this research is to investigate the fundamentals of human computer interaction for wearable computers and derive technology requirements. Background: A wearable computer can be worn anytime with the support of unrestricted communications and a variety of services which provide maximum capability of information use. Key challenges in developing such wearable computers are the level of comfort that users do not feel what they wear, and easy and intuitive user interface. The research presented in this paper examines user interfaces for wearable computers. Method: In this research, we have classified the wearable user interface technologies and analyzed the advantages and disadvantages from the user's point of view. Based on this analysis, we issued a user interface technology to conduct research and development for commercialization. Results: Technology requirements are drawn to make wearable computers commercialized. Conclusion: The user interface technology for wearable system must start from the understanding of the ergonomic aspects of the end user, because users wear the system on their body. Developers do not try to develop a state-of-the-art technology without the requirement analysis of the end users. If people do not use the technology, it can't survive in the market. Currently, there is no dominant wearable user interface in the world. So, this area might try a new challenge for the technology beyond the traditional interface paradigm through various approaches and attempts. Application: The findings in this study are expected to be used for designing user interface for wearable systems, such as digital clothes and fashion apparel.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.209-216
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• 2000

Recently, Wearable Computers have been applied to medical equipments, inspection system, military and various fields of industries. To support the various application of wearable computer, many researches into the input device for wearable computer have been executed. This paper describes the glove-like hand input system for wearable computer. the characteristics of sensed values, and coupling effects between each sensor. Using these characteristics and coupling effects, the general relation between flexion angles of joints and the values from sensors are proposed as exponential functions. Also, the error range of sensed values is proposed and the glove-like hand input system is calibrated as well by the experiments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.861-864
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• 2008

In ubiquitous computing environments that can be connected to the networks any time any where, wearable computer should be able to offer a variety service. The necessity of a variety service using wearable computer becomes more important. In this paper, we can not only provide services over interaction of wearable computer devices, but also propose the method of the better service over interaction of the cell phone.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.14-18
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• 2014

A recent major development in computer technology is the advent of wearable computer systems. Wearable computer systems employ a wireless universal serial bus (WUSB), which refers to a combination of USB with the WiMedia wireless technical specifications. In this study, we focus on an integrated system of WUSB over wireless body area networks (WBANs) for wireless wearable computer systems. However, current WBAN MACs do not have well-defined quality of service (QoS) mapping and resource allocation mechanisms to support multimedia streams with the requested QoS parameters. To solve this problem, we propose a novel QoS-aware time slot allocation method. The proposed method provides fair and adaptive QoS provisioning to isochronous streams according to current traffic loads and their requested QoS parameters by executing a QoS satisfaction algorithm at the WUSB/WBAN host. The simulation results show that the proposed method improves the efficiency of time slot utilization while maximizing QoS provisioning.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.111-128
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• 2001

The purpose of part I of this research was to study the definition of the wearable computer, the influential factors which led to its advent, the history of its progress and to prospect the figure of future research in fashion field of it. A qualitative analysis was applied to fulfill the research purpose, in which academic reports, professional journals, newspapers, magazines, books and sites were reviewed and analyzed in depth. The wearable computer which has been developed as a type of the portable hardware for computing during the first period, 1960s-1980s, has progressed into apparently softer and technologically advanced prototypes during the 2nd period, early-mid 1990s. From the beginning of the 3rd period since late 1990s, 'really wearable' prototypes were developed as the results of efforts to invent the more comfortable and interactive 'wearcomp' Based on the result of the analysis, the meaning of wearable computer in fashion field was interpreted in this study, as a reflection of converged demand and tendency of this era. New issues for future research of the wearable computer were suggested in the viewpoint of fashion design.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.159-162
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• 2006

In ubiquitous computing environments, which can be connected to the networks any time any where, wearable computers frequently will be changed their network connection point. Therefore, the demand of the mobility support service becomes more important. The mobility support mechanism allows a wearable computer to continue the existing services without the modification for the network configuration of wearable computer even if wearable computer changes the network connection point during its moving. In this paper, we design the component based middlewear for the mobility supports of wearable computers, propose the method of the mobility support service. This method tunnels the existing data to wearable computer using Mobile IP protocol even if a wearable computer moves to other network after recomposing dynamically the mobility support component in wearable middlewear.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2013

Wearable computer systems use the wireless universal serial bus (WUSB), which refers to USB technology that is merged with WiMedia physical layer and medium access control layer (PHY/MAC) technical specifications. WUSB can be applied to wireless personal area network (WPAN) applications as well as wired USB applications such as PAN. WUSB specifications have defined high-speed connections between a WUSB host and WUSB devices for compatibility with USB 2.0 specifications. In this paper, we focus on an integrated system with a WUSB over an IEEE 802.15.6 wireless body area network (WBAN) for wireless wearable computer systems. Due to the portable and wearable nature of wearable computer systems, the WUSB over IEEE 802.15.6 hierarchical medium access control (MAC) protocol has to support power saving operations and integrate WUSB transactions with WBAN traffic efficiently. In this paper, we propose a low-power hibernation technique (LHT) for WUSB over IEEE 802.15.6 hierarchical MAC to improve its energy efficiency. Simulation results show that the LHT also integrates WUSB transactions and WBAN traffic efficiently while it achieves high energy efficiency.