With the sale of smart gadgets on the rise, a peculiar patent has been uncovered as Sony have filed a patent for a peculiar wearable device called the SmartWig.
There are currently two arguments for ‘smart’ devices – devices that do what we’re used to – e.g a phone that makes calls or allows us to send text messages but giving us increased ‘smart’ abilities, such as a smartphones ability to have apps alongside those calls and texts – and these debates are whether or not smart gadgets are actually useful or if they’re just gimmicks. A good example of this is smart TVs, which make television watching more interactive but do they offer more than our smartphones? Set to add more fuel to those debates is the Sony SmartWig, a smart device that the electronics company has just filed a patent for.
While the unusual device is being reported as something that might not have any traction at market, the SmartWig’s listed features actually seem to be quite useful. The biggest draw to the SmartWig, of what’s written in the patent filing, is that the SmartWig, when connected to other wearable devices like smartglasses (e.g Google Glass) or even smartphones, would be able to “provide tactile feedback to the user” which effectively means that it would be able to vibrate and subtly inform the user that they’ve received an email or text message. Other features include GPS functions, with the wig said to be able to buzz to suggest navigational clues, a built-in camera and, most bizarrely, the SmartWig could also include a laser pointer.
Users of the SmartWig may even be able to switch slides in presentation by “touching side burns”, presumably making business life a little easier for those in meetings. The ability to lead the blind is also mentioned However, while business executives and those hard-of-sight are covered, wig aficionados will also be catered to as Sony say that the SmartWig “be made from horse hair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair or any kind of synthetic material” bringing both fashion and technology together.
We’ll keep you posted once we know more.
Read more on walyou, Sony HMZ-T3W Wearable Display Available for Pre-Order, Sony BRAVIA Smart Stick Brings Smart TV Apps to Ordinary TVs
