Sony's SMART-WIG

Sony's smart-watch may be less than two months old, but a patent application suggests the company's already thinking of branching out into other wearables--namely a smart wig that connects to smartphones and sends tactile feedback to wearers' heads.

Coined the SmartWig, the device can include GPS and a camera placed near the forehead. Users can receive vibrating feedback on specific parts of their head. Furthermore, a laser pointer and remote used for presentations can be controlled by the head's movement. An ultrasound transducer could also transmit or receive ultrasound waves to detect surrounding objects, warning users if there are obstacles behind or above their heads.

The usage of a wig has several advantages that, compared to known wearable computing devices, include a significantly increased user comfort and an imp

But will we ever become such slaves to technology that we'd wear a wig or toupee for reasons other than vanity? Sony hopes so. "Wig technology improves year after year, and many companies manufacture and release new products, so wigs can be expected to look almost the same as natural hair in the near future," according to the application. "Therefore, it is believed that a wig as proposed herein has huge potential as a wearable computing device."

roved handling of the wearable computing device," reads the application filed Thursday to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. First of all, a wig makes it easier to hide the parts of the device, and our heads are more sensitive than many other body parts, so wearers can be alerted discreetly. The SmartWig could also serve as the ultimate body and environmental sensor transmit health information to health care professionals.

Wearable technology reached new heights today with the news that Sony has filed a patent for smart wig that could keep an eye on blood pressure or use GPS navigation.

The high tech hairpiece could include a camera, laser pointer or sensor for GPS, wirelessly communicating with other devices.

According to a filing with patent authorities in the US, the sensors will be hidden in the wig, which could be made from “horse hair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair, buffalo hair or any kind of synthetic material”.

“It is an object to provide an improved wearable computing device and system including such a wearable computing device.

“There is provided a 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 at least one sensor, the processing unit and the communication interface being arranged in the wig and at least partly covered by the wig in order to be visually hidden during use.”

Three prototypes include a wig with a laser pointer and the ability to change sides on a Powerpoint presentation; a navigation wig that uses GPS and tactile feedback to direct users; and one that gathers data on users such as blood pressure and temperature.

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