Advanced Information Systems Analysis and DesignSoftware system on low powered wearable devices

Submitted by Muthu Kumaran Raj Arumugam

Table of contentsIntroduction... 3Architecture... 5 Embedded Operating Systems.. 7Wearable devices... 8Functioning 8Working.... 10Android Wear... 10Android Wear User Interface12Other UI features.. 14Sending and Syncing Data... 15Wearable Data Sync. 16Benefits 17Disadvantages.. 18Recommendations 19References 20

Introduction:Wearable technology, a key driver of the Internet of Things, is prevalent in the commercial markets. It is the first wave of growth in the world of Internet of Everything. The driving technology behind the world of wearable device are low power processors, mobile sensors and wireless networking fitted into devices attached to the human body. The technology brings together cutting-edge features like voice, motion and gesture controls. These devices are enabled not by the hardware and aesthetics but by the operating system (OS).

The operating system (OS) is the one that drives the smartwatches and other wearable devices. Major operating systems in the market are Android Wear, Tizen and Linux.The fundamental idea behind such wearable devices is to usher in a world where everything is smart and interconnected. At the heart of every single discussion involving the Internet of Things, wearable devices demonstrate new capabilities brought about by pervasive connectivity. Wearable technology has improved and evolved over a period of time and wrist watches which used user interfaces. Wearable computing is now going mainstream with the launch of numerous smartwatches and Google Glass. Apart from mobile computing, these user interfaces are used for the purpose of navigation, educational and accessibility.

The basic attributes of wearable devices are: Low power Connected Intelligent Compact Environment aware

Cisco defines the Internet of Everything (IoE) as bringing together people, process, data, and things to make networked connections more relevant and valuable than ever before-turning information into actions that create new capabilities, richer experiences, and unprecedented economic opportunity for businesses, individuals, and countries. And wearable technology is the forefront of Internet of Everything.Cisco defines the Internet of Things (IoT) as the network of physical objects accessed through the Internet, as defined by technology analysts and visionaries. These objects contain embedded technology to interact with internal states or the external environment. In other words, when objects can sense and communicate, it changes how and where decisions are made, and who makes them.

Architecture:The most important component of operating systems in wearable devices is the kernel. The kernel is the middleware between the software and hardware. Various software tasks, power management and various other functions and how it is solved are determined by the kernel.

Block diagram of a wearable smartwatch.Some of the most common hardware are: Microprocessors without IPS: MIPS, has its own instruction-set and processor series. In operating systems such as Android Wear which employ Java, MIPS processors should run most applications. MIPS has provisions for powerful graphics, processor support and lowpower consumption. This is very ideal for a highly efficient wearable devices platform.

ARM Cortex M: The Cortex M series is based on reduced instruction set computing and offers a chipset which has ultra low power for basic wearable devices. These provide good performance and power consumption which is very low.

Cortex A: The main aspect of Aseries of cortex is graphics and the central processing power. As a wearables platform, manufacturers continue churning out low-battery life wearable devices which are based with Cortex A.

Intel Chip: The Intel chip is based on the x86 platform is based on the x86 instruction set. The chipset is credited with a number of innovations in both manufacturing and technological. These include the smallest manufacturing process available in the market and the tri-gate resistors. It is widely expected that upcoming wearable devices will contain Intels x86.

Embedded Operating Systems:The open source operating systems were built from scratch and adapted for wearables are referred to as embedded operating systems. Wearable devices which are purpose-built do not need powerful internal components or high level code. Many wearable devices dont even require any kind of display for showing information. This is the reason why these OS use MIPS, M series of Cortex, and other systems with low power.

Some popular operating systems based on open source: Linux: Many wearable devices in the market use linux kernel and it is the base for of all operating systems which adapt it. Major operating systems like Android Wear which is adapted from Android and Tizen OS use Linux. GNU: The second most widely used kernel in hardware is GNU and are used by many wearable computer systems. Berkeley Software Distribution: Some wearable devices also use the unix kernel of BSD. Mach: Apples wearable devices and other products such as iPhone and desktops is partly powered by Mach kernel.

Wearable devices:

Wearable computers are small in size and electronic devices which are compactly designed for users. The basis of wearable technology is an electronic device that do processing of information and data. The wearable devices in todays world are powerful and the efficiency and compactness has reached a good level. These devices also have a wide range of features and best fitted to wear on the human body. In terms of technologies, there has been a great improvement in the components used like displays, input and output systems and ultra sized batteries.

Functioning:Wearable technology is prevalent in the consumer, entertainment, sports and fitness markets and the wearable devices have certain characteristics. Wearable devices must be small, very low powered in order to achieve long battery life and for internet or cloud access, these devices must seamlessly connect to a hub or gateway device.A smartwatch typically contains a wristband and a flip portion apart from a base. The base contains a processor, user interface and also a transreceiver. By means of a wireless network, the transceiver can be configured. The user interaction is achieved by configuring the user interface. The display on the inside provides information to the user.The major functions performed in a typical wearable device are done by a processor, wireless interface, sensors, display units and a battery that supports power management. Device components for the wearables are selected based on the functional and the performance intended for the device to display.All the wearable devices are heavily dependent on the operating system. These include the user interface apart from the app programs and device drivers.

Working:A wearable device such as a smartwatch initially needs to be connected to a mobile phone for its full operation. This could be done via Bluetooth pairing or using NFC chips. Upon successful connection between the two devices, the notifications are enabled by the user on the wrist device. Notifications could range from calls, messaging, social networks and many more.

Android Wear:Android Wear is based on Android OS specifically designed for low powered smartwatches. Wearable devices running the OS for android watches need a compatible smartphone connected by Bluetooth. Notifications are thus displayed on the watch from the smartphone. The smartwatch is capable of running specially designed apps which are downloaded and the Android Wear component is then synced with the watch over Bluetooth. Alerts and pending notifications are shown directly on the watch. The fact that an on-screen keyboard is not feasible on a small display is taken care of by Googles voice recognition feature. The entire OS experience comes directly from Google and hence software updates are easy to install and is not dependent on the manufacturers hardware.The user interface is about the display of cards, and it is based on search feature that Google successfully used in its smartphones by prediction means. Swipes are another feature in the OS. Cards are used to represent notifications or apps, and you can scroll through them by swiping up or down. More information on a card or to act on it can be done by a simple swipe to the left. Dismissing an app or a notification can be done by a right swipe.

At the top of all the cards, the watch face is displayed. The space in the stack is varying down to see the top card and there is a range of digital and analog options. A swipe down shows the date and the level of the battery. Other functions like mute control level and notifications can be turned off by the same swipe down from the watch face.

Android Wear User Interface:The Android Wear UI at a high level consists of two main spaces and these are centered on the core functions of suggest and demand. Suggest:The Suggest context stream is one of the core functions for Android Wear. Basically, the suggest context consists of a sequence of notifications and these are time based information, such as incoming messages or upcoming appointments. The context stream is a vertical list of cards, each showing a useful or timely piece of information. Only one card is displayed at a time and users navigate vertically to move from card to another. Some applications can also create cards and inject into the stream when useful.

Demand:The Demand also known as the cue card is another core functions for Android Wear. A demand is generally displayed as a large icon and is used in cases where Android Wear does not suggest through the context stream. This core function is well demonstrated for messages. When a new email arrives, the demand functions by allowing the user to swipe to the left thereby showing a host of options such as to reply, navigate or archive.

Other UI features:Apart from suggest and demand, Android Wear has other UI features such as Home screen It is the default state of the device Watch faces Appears in the background of the Home screen and display the time Ambient Mode Saves power by dimming the screen when the device is not being used. Date and Battery A swipe down the Home screen reveals the date and the battery display. Settings screen Can be used by either using a hardware button or by using a cur card. Full screen When a wide range of interaction is needed, this can be launched right on top of the main stream.

Sending and Syncing Data:The communication channel between the handheld and wearable apps is provided by the Wearable Data Layer API. The application programming interface consists of a set of data objects used by the system to send and synchronize data.An application that is on a wearable device usually utilizes some of the capabilities of a paired handheld device. This requires the presence of two separate Android apps one on the wearable device and the other on the smartphone. Bluetooth link connects the two devices for the apps to communicate with one another.The access to the data layer of a data communications link between the two devices is provided by a wearable message API. On the sending side, message move down the protocol stack across the bluetooth link and the message is then stacked up on the receiving side.

Message flow through wearable communication linkWearable Data Sync:The synchronization of either messages or data is done by the wearable data layer. While data is usually wrapped in a DataMap object, message is a single text string. A DataMap is a collection of one or more of data types and these are stored as key or value pairs. A DataMap is used by wearable apps to encapsulate the data that is exchanged over the wearable data layer.Access to the data layer of a data communications link between the two devices is provided by the wearable access API. Similar to messages, the application data on the sending side moves down the protocol stack across the bluetooth link. On the receiving side, the data is then stacked up.

Data flow using DataMapBenefits:

Wearable devices leverages the power of personal information while keeping it private by changing the settings. In brief, wearables eliminate the need for multiple devices by integrating all into a single device beneficial across numerous industries and to the common man. Higher productivity: The recent influx of wearable technology in the business world has improved the productivity at work and the organizations efficiency. These companies also use wearable smart glasses to save money by solving a host of issues. Augmentation: The reach and capabilities of a person are extended by wearable computing. Enhanced communication, sending, memory, logistical skills and recognition are provided by wearables. It enhances and empowers the individual wearing the device in his day to day activities in an optimum way. Healthcare and medical: It is very useful in the healthcare industry where vital signs are monitored using sensors and helps in drug delivery products. Consolidation: Wearables eliminate the need for redundant batteries, wireless network interfaces and packaging. The wearable devices are compact and stay connected in a smart world helping the user in a wide array of fields.

Disadvantages: Security: If left unattended or unsecured, wearables can be openings for security and privacy breaches. Wearable devices in organizations are connected to the companys server and if the wearables fall in the wrong hands, stealing information about a person or companys secrets poses a very high security risk. Less versatile: Wearable devices are not as versatile as smartphones or tablets in some areas. It is difficult to type an email in a watch or using the voice recognition feature in a noisy environment. The small display of few inches is a deterrent when it comes to messaging or sending mails in the absence of a keypad or onscreen keyboard. Small and expensive: Tasks like browsing the internet or watching a video are harder to accomplish in wearables due to the small size in most of the smartwatches and bands. These are much smaller in dimensions than the regular smartphones and are expensive on the market.

Recommendations:The existing and future wearables are likely to fall under any one of the below categories: Wristband Jewelry Glasses Clothing EmbeddedMy recommendations for the wearables are:For wristband, jewelry and embedded wearables it is very vital and imperative to verify the user. This should be checked by verifying the password provided by ones authenticated self.For glasses, it is necessary for natural abilities to be enhanced through augmented sensory perception. It is also recommended that features be put in place for communication to occur through an onboard interface. For wearables in clothing, the most important usage is to record and catalog ones personal medical or experiences to cloud storage. Better behavior can be achieved through responsive coaching. It is also recommended to install chips that track the wellbeing of a person and reflecting it through an emotional mirror.

References: http://android-wear-docs.readthedocs.org/en/latest/explore.html#i-have-an-android-watch http://www.cisco.com/web/solutions/trends/iot/overview.html http://www.computerworld.com/article/2489723/mobile-wireless/android-wear-deep-dive-review-a-smart-start-to-smartwatch-software.html https://gigaom.com/2014/04/08/ineda-systems-gets-17m-for-a-new-chip-design-aimed-at-wearables-and-data-centers http://www.media.mit.edu/wearables/mithril/intro/topic2.html http://www.forbes.com/sites/salesforce/2014/09/07/wearable-tech-business/ http://developer.android.com/design/wear/index.html#Other http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/application.jsp?code=APLSMARTWATCH http://source.android.com/devices/tech/power.html http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac79/innov/IoE.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_technology http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/Technology-Media-Telecommunications/gx-tmt-2014prediction-wearables.pdf http://www.androidcentral.com/android-wear http://developer.android.com/training/building-wearables.html http://www.techradar.com/us/news/portable-devices/google-android-wear-what-you-need-to-know-1235025#articleContent

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