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Waves in Neural Media
by Paul C. BressloffWaves in Neural Media: From Single Neurons to Neural Fields surveys mathematical models of traveling waves in the brain, ranging from intracellular waves in single neurons to waves of activity in large-scale brain networks. The work provides a pedagogical account of analytical methods for finding traveling wave solutions of the variety of nonlinear differential equations that arise in such models. These include regular and singular perturbation methods, weakly nonlinear analysis, Evans functions and wave stability, homogenization theory and averaging, and stochastic processes. Also covered in the text are exact methods of solution where applicable. Historically speaking, the propagation of action potentials has inspired new mathematics, particularly with regard to the PDE theory of waves in excitable media. More recently, continuum neural field models of large-scale brain networks have generated a new set of interesting mathematical questions with regard to the solution of nonlocal integro-differential equations. Advanced graduates, postdoctoral researchers and faculty working in mathematical biology, theoretical neuroscience, or applied nonlinear dynamics will find this book to be a valuable resource. The main prerequisites are an introductory graduate course on ordinary differential equations or partial differential equations, making this an accessible and unique contribution to the field of mathematical biology.
Way Beyond Monochrome 2e: Advanced Techniques for Traditional Black & White Photography including digital negatives and hybrid printing
by Chris Woodhouse Ralph LambrechtAn inspirational bible for monochrome photography - this second edition almost doubles the content of its predecessor showing you the path from visualization to print
Ways of Being: Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence
by James BridleArtist, technologist, and philosopher James Bridle’s Ways of Being is a brilliant, searching exploration of different kinds of intelligence—plant, animal, human, artificial—and how they transform our understanding of humans’ place in the cosmos.What does it mean to be intelligent? Is it something unique to humans, or shared with other beings—beings of flesh, wood, stone, and silicon? The last few years have seen rapid advances in “artificial” intelligence. But as it approaches, it also gets weirder: rather than a friend or helpmate, AI increasingly appears as something stranger than we ever imagined, an alien invention that threatens to decenter and supplant us. At the same time, we’re only just becoming aware of the other intelligences which have been with us all along, even if we’ve failed to recognize or acknowledge them. These others—the animals, plants, and natural systems that surround us are slowly revealing their complexity, agency, and knowledge, just as the technologies we’ve built to sustain ourselves are threatening to cause their extinction, and ours. What can we learn from them, and how can we change ourselves, our technologies, our societies, and our politics, to live better and more equitably with one another and the non-human world?Artist and maverick thinker James Bridle drawn on biology and physics, computation, literature, art, and philosophy, to answer these unsettling questions. Startling and bold, Ways of Being explores the fascinating, strange and multitudinous forms of knowing, doing, and being which are becoming evident in the present, and which are essential for our survival.Includes illustrations
Ways of Knowing in HCI
by Judith S. Olson Wendy A. KelloggThis textbook brings together both new and traditional research methods in Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Research methods include interviews and observations, ethnography, grounded theory and analysis of digital traces of behavior. Readers will gain an understanding of the type of knowledge each method provides, its disciplinary roots and how each contributes to understanding users, user behavior and the context of use. The background context, clear explanations and sample exercises make this an ideal textbook for graduate students, as well as a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners. 'It is an impressive collection in terms of the level of detail and variety. ' (M. Sasikumar, ACM Computing Reviews #CR144066)
We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency
by Parmy OlsonA thrilling, exclusive expose of the hacker collectives Anonymous and LulzSec. WE ARE ANONYMOUS is the first full account of how a loosely assembled group of hackers scattered across the globe formed a new kind of insurgency, seized headlines, and tortured the feds-and the ultimate betrayal that would eventually bring them down. Parmy Olson goes behind the headlines and into the world of Anonymous and LulzSec with unprecedented access, drawing upon hundreds of conversations with the hackers themselves, including exclusive interviews with all six core members of LulzSec. In late 2010, thousands of hacktivists joined a mass digital assault on the websites of VISA, MasterCard, and PayPal to protest their treatment of WikiLeaks. Other targets were wide ranging-the websites of corporations from Sony Entertainment and Fox to the Vatican and the Church of Scientology were hacked, defaced, and embarrassed-and the message was that no one was safe. Thousands of user accounts from pornography websites were released, exposing government employees and military personnel.Although some attacks were perpetrated by masses of users who were rallied on the message boards of 4Chan, many others were masterminded by a small, tight-knit group of hackers who formed a splinter group of Anonymous called LulzSec. The legend of Anonymous and LulzSec grew in the wake of each ambitious hack. But how were they penetrating intricate corporate security systems? Were they anarchists or activists? Teams or lone wolves? A cabal of skilled hackers or a disorganized bunch of kids?WE ARE ANONYMOUS delves deep into the internet's underbelly to tell the incredible full story of the global cyber insurgency movement, and its implications for the future of computer security.
We Are the Nerds: The Birth and Tumultuous Life of REDDIT, the Internet's Culture Laboratory
by Christine Lagorio-Chafkin'A gripping read' Adam Grant, bestselling author of OriginalsReddit hails itself as 'the front page of the Internet'. It's the sixth most-visited website in the world - and yet, millions have no idea what it is. They should be paying attention.This definitive account of the birth and life of Reddit is perfect for readers of The Everything Store, Googled and The Facebook Effect.We Are the Nerds takes readers inside this captivating, maddening enterprise, whose army of obsessed users have been credited with everything from solving crimes and spurring millions in charitable donations to seeding alt-right fury and even landing Donald Trump in the White House. Reddit has become a mirror of the Internet itself: It has dark trenches, shiny memes, malicious trolls, and a heart-warming ability to connect people across cultures, oceans, and ideological divides.This is the gripping story of how Reddit's founders, Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian, transformed themselves from student video-gamers into Silicon Valley millionaires as they turned their creation into an icon of the digital age. But the journey was often fraught. Reporting on Reddit for more than six years, conducting hundreds of interviews and gaining exclusive access to its founders, Christine Lagorio-Chafkin has written the definitive account of the birth and life of Reddit. Packed with revelatory details about its biggest triumphs and controversies, this inside look at Reddit includes fresh insights on the relationship between Huffman and Ohanian, staff turmoil, the tragic life of Aaron Swartz, and Reddit's struggle to become profitable.In a time when we are increasingly concerned about privacy and manipulation on social platforms, We Are the Nerds reveals Reddit's central role in the dissemination of culture and information in history's first fully digital century. Rigorously reported and highly entertaining, We Are the Nerds explores how this unique platform has changed the way we all communicate today.PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:'Incisive, witty and brilliantly written' - Emily Chang, bestselling author of Brotopia'A triumph - a business book that reads like a page-turning novel' - James Ledbetter, author of One Nation Under Gold'The best, grittiest, most accurate book yet about what it's like to build a startup and a community from scratch' - John Zeratsky, bestselling author of Sprint and Make Time'A gripping, entertaining book that is a must-read for every entrepreneur' - Daymond John, bestselling author of Rise and Grind'Too many books on tech feel like they have been Googled together; Lagorio-Chafkin's is rich in original reportage' - TLS
We Are the Nerds: The Birth and Tumultuous Life of Reddit, the Internet's Culture Laboratory
by Christine Lagorio-ChafkinA riveting look inside Reddit, the wildly popular, often misunderstood website, whose intensely-engaged users have changed the culture of the Internet--"a must-read for anyone hoping to make sense of the century ahead" (Ashlee Vance, bestselling author of Elon Musk). Reddit hails itself as "the front page of the Internet." It's the third most-visited website in the United States--and yet, millions of Americans have no idea what it is. We Are the Nerds is an engrossing look deep inside this captivating, maddening enterprise, whose army of obsessed users have been credited with everything from solving cold case crimes and spurring tens of millions of dollars in charitable donations to seeding alt-right fury and landing Donald Trump in the White House. We Are the Nerds is a gripping start-up narrative: the story of how Reddit's founders, Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian, rose up from their suburban childhoods to become millionaires and create an icon of the digital age--before seeing the site engulfed in controversies and nearly losing control of it for good. Based on Christine Lagorio-Chafkin's exclusive access to founders Ohanian and Huffman, We Are the Nerds is also a compelling exploration of the way we all communicate today--and how we got here. Reddit and its users have become a mirror of the Internet: it has dingy corners, shiny memes, malicious trolls, and a sometimes heart-melting ability to connect people across cultures, oceans, and ideological divides.
We Deserve Better Villains: A Video Game Design Survival Guide
by Jai KristjanWe Deserve Better Villains is a highly accessible how-to guide for video game designers no matter what level of experience to understand what is needed to be successful in the development cycle of any video game from concept to supporting the game live. Each chapter outlines a period in a video games development cycle, what key concepts need to be on a designers mind and how they can work to improve themselves every step of the way. To help visualize the journey the chapters start with a section centered on the reader as a hero character in a fictitious adventure video game that faces the trials and tribulations of the development cycle to completing the game. We all deserve better games, better heroes and villains which starts with learning what it takes to survive in the game development system as a videogame designer. Key Features Accessible enough for novices, insightful enough for veteran game designers Allows readers of at any level of video game knowledge to connect with the struggle of making a video game Concepts are delivered in a short, specific approach followed with practical exercises to follow to getting the reader into action to improve their skills
We Have Never Been Human: Or Why We Have Always Been Something Else
by Juan de Dios VázquezWe Have Never Been Human: Or Why We Have Always Been Something Else boldly reimagines what it means to be human, challenging the traditional notions that bind our identity to biology and culture. From ancient mythologies to modern technologies, this book reveals a dynamic, ever-evolving human identity shaped by external forces and technological advancements.Blending insights from philosophy, technology studies, anthropology, and cultural critique, We Have Never Been Human: Or Why We Have Been Something Else offers an interdisciplinary exploration of our constructed identities and what they portend for the future of society. It raises essential questions: How has technology reshaped our self-perception? Are humans fixed beings, or are we endlessly evolving? What ethical, social, and political challenges arise as we integrate with intelligent machines?This book is a compelling read for those intrigued by the intersection of humanity and technology, offering profound insights into the essence of what it means to be human—or perhaps, what it means to evolve beyond the human.
We Have Root: Even More Advice from Schneier on Security
by Bruce SchneierA collection of popular essays from security guru Bruce Schneier In his latest collection of essays, security expert Bruce Schneier tackles a range of cybersecurity, privacy, and real-world security issues ripped from the headlines. Essays cover the ever-expanding role of technology in national security, war, transportation, the Internet of Things, elections, and more. Throughout, he challenges the status quo with a call for leaders, voters, and consumers to make better security and privacy decisions and investments. Bruce’s writing has previously appeared in some of the world's best-known and most-respected publications, including The Atlantic, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Wired, and many others. And now you can enjoy his essays in one place—at your own speed and convenience. • Timely security and privacy topics • The impact of security and privacy on our world • Perfect for fans of Bruce’s blog and newsletter • Lower price than his previous essay collections The essays are written for anyone who cares about the future and implications of security and privacy for society.
We Just Build Hammers: Stories from the Past, Present, and Future of Responsible Tech
by Coraline Ada EhmkePhilosopher Noam Chomsky is famously quoted as saying that technology is neither good nor bad, but simply a neutral tool. He likens it to a hammer, which can be used by carpenters and torturers alike. While the neutrality of tech is an idea that appeals to many technologists, this perspective is out of alignment with today's realities of pervasive ad-tech, surveillance capitalism, algorithmic manipulation, and rising techno-fascism. We Just Build Hammers applies a lens of speculative and science fiction to connect you with a historical lineage of thinkers and activists in the responsible tech movement. Its narrative spans a century of major technological upheavals: from the advent of the atomic age to the formative years of computing; from the hacker visionaries of the turn of the century to the tech justice revolutionaries of today. This book challenges technologists to consider for themselves whether they're really just "building hammers"– technologies whose potential for good balances their potential for harm– or if they are unwittingly contributing to systems that exacerbate inequality, inequity, and injustice. What You Will Learn A historic grounding and a science fiction perspective to help untangle the difficult and fraught topic of tech ethics Ways to bring ethical considerations into the development of new technologies How to navigate the increasing complexity of the techno-social world we live and work in Who This Book is For Designed to appeal broadly, not just to engineers and technologists, but to anyone interested in the history and future of ethics and technology.
We Know It When We See It: What the Neurobiology of Vision Tells Us About How We Think
by Richard MaslandSpotting a face in a crowd is so easy, you take it for granted. But how you do it is one of science's great mysteries. Vision is involved in nearly a third of everything a brain does and explaining how it works reveals more than just how we see. It also tells us how the brain processes information – how it perceives, learns and remembers. In We Know It When We See It, pioneering neuroscientist Richard Masland covers everything from what happens when light hits your retina, to the increasingly sophisticated nerve nets that turn that light into knowledge, to what a computer algorithm must be able to do before it can truly be called &‘intelligent&’. It is a profound yet accessible investigation into how our bodies make sense of the world.
We Know It When We See It: What the Neurobiology of Vision Tells Us About How We Think
by Richard Maslandp.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.3px Times} A Harvard researcher investigates the human eye in this insightful account of what vision reveals about intelligence, learning, and the greatest mysteries of neuroscience.Spotting a face in a crowd is so easy, you take it for granted. But how you do it is one of science's great mysteries. And vision is involved with so much of everything your brain does. Explaining how it works reveals more than just how you see. In We Know It When We See It, Harvard neuroscientist Richard Masland tackles vital questions about how the brain processes information -- how it perceives, learns, and remembers -- through a careful study of the inner life of the eye. Covering everything from what happens when light hits your retina, to the increasingly sophisticated nerve nets that turn that light into knowledge, to what a computer algorithm must be able to do before it can be called truly "intelligent," We Know It When We See It is a profound yet approachable investigation into how our bodies make sense of the world.
We Only Dated for 11 Instagrams: And Other Things You'll Overhear in L.A.
by Jesse Margolis Emmet Truxes Eric GarcettiFrom the hugely popular @OverheardLA Instagram account comes this illustrated collection of the entertaining, absurd, sometimes even poignant snippets of conversation overheard on the streets of Los Angeles.Oh, Los Angeles: where kids with lemonade stands accept Venmo, where your Uber driver moonlights as a spiritual adviser. Whether you love L.A. or love to hate it, you'll delight in this comical tribute to the one and only La La Land -- a world all its own, yet also a microcosm of 21st century American culture in so many ways. The book features illustrations from Emmet Truxes, creator of the popular @brooklyncartoons Instagram account, and a foreword from L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti. It's the perfect gift for millennials and everyone who loves to (gently) mock them. Prepare to laugh, to face-palm, to cringe, and to delight in such gems as, "Timing is everything, whether it's sex, drugs, or avocados." "Why are the older generations so judgmental? They were millennials once too." "Nothing screams of desperation like a paragraph of hashtags."And so many more.
We See It All: Liberty and Justice in an Age of Perpetual Surveillance
by Jon FasmanAn investigation into the legal, political, and moral issues surrounding how the police and justice system use surveillance technology, asking the question: what are citizens of a free country willing to tolerate in the name of public safety?As we rethink the scope of police power, Jon Fasman&’s chilling examination of how the police and the justice system use the unparalleled power of surveillance technology—how it affects privacy, liberty, and civil rights—becomes more urgent by the day. Embedding himself within police departments on both coasts, Fasman explores the moral, legal, and political questions posed by these techniques and tools.By zeroing in on how facial recognition, automatic license-plate readers, drones, predictive algorithms, and encryption affect us personally, Fasman vividly illustrates what is at stake and explains how to think through issues of privacy rights, civil liberties, and public safety. How do these technologies impact how police operate in our society? How should archaic privacy laws written for an obsolete era—that of the landline and postbox—be updated?Fasman looks closely at what can happen when surveillance technologies are combined and put in the hands of governments with scant regard for citizens&’ civil liberties, pushing us to ask: Is our democratic culture strong enough to stop us from turning into China, with its architecture of control?
We Used to Wait
by Rebecca KinskeyMusic videos were once something broadcast by MTV and received on our TV screens. Today, music videos are searched for, downloaded, and viewed on our computer screens -- or produced in our living rooms and uploaded to social media. In We Used to Wait, Rebecca Kinskey examines this shift. She investigates music video as a form, originally a product created by professionals to be consumed by nonprofessionals; as a practice, increasingly taken up by amateurs; and as a literacy, to be experimented with and mastered. Kinskey offers a short history of the music video as a communicative, cultural form, describing the rise and fall of MTV's Total Request Live and the music video's resurgence on YouTube. She examines recent shifts in viewing and production practice, tracing the trajectory of music video director Hiro Murai from film student and dedicated amateur in the 1990s to music video professional in the 2000s. Investigating music video as a literacy, she looks at OMG! Cameras Everywhere, a nonprofit filmmaking summer camp run by a group of young music video directors. The OMG! campers and counselors provide a case study in how cultural producers across several generations have blurred the line between professional and amateur. Their everyday practices remake the notion of literacy, not only by their collaborative and often informal efforts to impart and achieve literacy but also by expanding the definition of what is considered a valuable activity, worthy of dedicated, pleasurable pursuit.
We the Media: Grassroots Journalism By the People, For the People
by Dan Gillmor"We the Media, has become something of a bible for those who believe the online medium will change journalism for the better." -Financial Times Big Media has lost its monopoly on the news, thanks to the Internet. Now that it's possible to publish in real time to a worldwide audience, a new breed of grassroots journalists are taking the news into their own hands. Armed with laptops, cell phones, and digital cameras, these readers-turned-reporters are transforming the news from a lecture into a conversation. In We the Media, nationally acclaimed newspaper columnist and blogger Dan Gillmor tells the story of this emerging phenomenon and sheds light on this deep shift in how we make--and consume--the news. Gillmor shows how anyone can produce the news, using personal blogs, Internet chat groups, email, and a host of other tools. He sends a wake-up call tonewsmakers-politicians, business executives, celebrities-and the marketers and PR flacks who promote them. He explains how to successfully play by the rules of this new era and shift from "control" to "engagement." And he makes a strong case to his fell journalists that, in the face of a plethora of Internet-fueled news vehicles, they must change or become irrelevant. Journalism in the 21st century will be fundamentally different from the Big Media oligarchy that prevails today. We the Media casts light on the future of journalism, and invites us all to be part of it. Dan Gillmor is founder of Grassroots Media Inc., a project aimed at enabling grassroots journalism and expanding its reach. The company's first launch is Bayosphere.com, a site "of, by, and for the San Francisco Bay Area." Dan Gillmor is the founder of the Center for Citizen Media, a project to enable and expand reach of grassroots media. From 1994-2004, Gillmor was a columnist at the San Jose Mercury News, Silicon Valley's daily newspaper, and wrote a weblog for SiliconValley.com. He joined the Mercury News after six years with the Detroit Free Press. Before that, he was with the Kansas City Times and several newspapers in Vermont. He has won or shared in several regional and national journalism awards. Before becoming a journalist he played music professionally for seven years.
We're Engaged!
by Bob Davis Dawn DavisToday's brides- and grooms-to-be have grown up inundated by world-class photography on the Internet, television, magazines, and social networking sites. Therefore, it's no surprise that these savvy, image-conscious consumers have high expectations when commissioning their engagement portraits. They want unique, innovative images that make them look great and reflect their personal style as individuals and as a couple. In this book, acclaimed photographers Bob and Dawn Davis show you how to rise to that lofty goal and deliver memorable, personalized images from each session. Covering the process from start to finish, you'll learn how to select locations, work with clients on their styling, get great poses even from camera-shy subjects, and find (or create) amazing lighting indoors and out-all day long. Lighting diagrams paired with each final image selection, along with supporting image variations from the same session, make it easy to learn!
We, Robot: Skywalker's Hand, Blade Runners, Iron Man, Slutbots, and How Fiction Became Fact
by Mark Stephen MeadowsExamining favorite science fiction tales to reveal which robots actually exist today--and what's coming tomorrow--"We, Robot" asks: How close to becoming reality are our favorite science fiction robots? And what might be the real-life consequences of their existence?
We, Robots
by Curtis WhiteIn the tradition of Jaron Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget, a rousing, sharply argued--and, yes, inspiring!--reckoning with our blind faith in technology Can technology solve all our problems? Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, many of our most famous journalists, pundits, and economists seem to think so. According to them, "intelligent machines" and big data will free us from work, educate our children, transform our environment, and even make religion more user-friendly. This is the story they're telling us: that we should stop worrying and love our robot future. But just because you tell a story over and over again doesn't make it true. Curtis White, one of our most brilliant and perceptive social critics, knows all about the danger of a seductive story, and in We, Robots, he tangles with the so-called thinkers who are convinced that the future is rose-colored and robotically enhanced. With tremendous erudition and a punchy wit, White argues that we must be skeptical of anyone who tries to sell us on technological inevitability. And he gives us an alternative set of stories: taking inspiration from artists as disparate as Sufjan Stevens, Lars von Trier, and François Rabelais, White shows us that by looking to art, we can imagine a different kind of future. No robots required.From the Hardcover edition.
We, robots: Questioning the Neutrality of Technology, Ethical AI and Technological Determinism
by Lode Lauwaert Bartek ChomanskiThis book takes a philosophical look at traditional technological tools such as hammers and drills as well as the modern: autonomous cars, ChatGPT, smartphones, apps, steam engines, nuclear power plants, computers, and many other systems that surround us. The three main questions tackled are: Is technology neutral? Or is the design often intertwined with a Western or gendered perspective? What are the ethical risks of AI? Is it necessarily biased? Is the climate problem linked to smart technologies? Is technological determinism correct? In other words, is the world controlled by engineers since the digital revolution, or are their inventions merely a product of society? Lode Lauwaert and Bartek Chomanski offer an idiosyncratic perspective on technology and AI. The result is a nuanced and critical view of the key themes of our time. This book appeals broadly to students, researchers as well as non-academic audiences for an introduction to the philosophy of technology and AI. “This book explores key themes that all revolve around the idea that technology is not neutral. This is a message for all of us. Because technology is us.” Mark Coeckelbergh, University of Vienna
Wearable Brain-Computer Interfaces: Prototyping EEG-Based Instruments for Monitoring and Control
by Antonio Esposito Pasquale Arpaia Nicola Moccaldi Ludovica GargiuloThis book presents a complete overview of the main EEG-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) paradigms and the related practical solutions for their design, prototyping, and testing. Readers will explore active, reactive, and passive BCI paradigms, with an emphasis on the operation for developing solutions, addressing the need for customization. Readers will familiarize themselves with the main steps for the realization of low-cost wearable BCIs which include: identification of the most suitable neuro signals for a specific application; definition of the hardware, firmware, and software, with a focus on wearable, non-invasive, and low-cost solutions; development of algorithms for data processing and classification; and, lastly, experimental campaigns for the validation of the prototyped solutions. BCI systems based on electroencephalography (EEG) are investigated and a complete overview of all BCI paradigms is offered. The aim of this book is to drive the reader, from the beginning to the end, along a research-and-development process of a working BCI prototype. This book is a guide for designers, biomedical engineers, students, biotechnologists, and those in the biomedical instrumentation field that would like to conceive, design, prototype, and test an innovative low-cost wearable EEG-based BCI.
Wearable Haptic Devices for Realistic Scenario Applications (Springer Series on Touch and Haptic Systems)
by Federica BarontiniThis book delves into the application of wearable haptic feedback technology in various contexts, focusing on prosthetics for individuals with upper limb loss and navigation systems for the visually impaired. Central to the book is the development of technologies that address users' needs and demands. It highlights the pivotal role of a user-centred approach in designing and creating novel feedback mechanisms. Beginning with focus groups and experimental campaigns, each chapter introduces innovative haptic devices that are characterized, tested, and refined to consistently meet user requirements. The research culminates in the creation of a fully integrated feedback system within a prosthetic socket. This book provides comprehensive insights into developing practical, user-friendly haptic devices that significantly improve the quality of life for individuals with sensory impairments.
Wearable Interaction (Human–Computer Interaction Series)
by Vivian Genaro MottiThis book offers the reader a comprehensive view of the design space of wearable computers, cutting across multiple application domains and interaction modalities. Besides providing several examples of wearable technologies, Wearable Interaction illustrates how to create and to assess interactive wearables considering human factors in design decisions related to input entry and output responses. The book also discusses the impacts of form factors and contexts of use in the design of wearable interaction. Miniaturized components, flexible materials, and sewable electronics toolkits exemplify advances in technology that facilitated the design and development of wearable technologies. Despite such advances, creating wearable interfaces that are efficient is still challenging. The new affordances of on-body interfaces require the consideration of new interaction paradigms, so that the design decisions for the user interaction take into account key limitations in the interaction surfaces of wearables concerning input entry, processing power for output responses, and in the time and attention that wearers dedicate to complete their interaction. Under such constraints, creating interfaces with high usability levels is complex. Also, because wearables are worn continuously and in close contact with the human body, on-body interfaces must be carefully designed to neither disturb nor overwhelm wearers. The context of use and the potential of wearable technologies must be both well understood to provide users with relevant information and services using appropriate approaches and without overloading them with notifications. Wearable Interaction explains thoroughly how interactive wearables have been created taking into account the needs of end users as well as the vast potential that wearable technologies offer. Readers from academia, industry or government will learn how wearables can be designed and developed to facilitate human activities and tasks across different sectors.
Wearable Monitoring Systems
by Annalisa Bonfiglio Danilo De RossiAs diverse as tomorrow's society constituent groups may be, they will share the common requirements that their life should become safer and healthier, offering higher levels of effectiveness, communication and personal freedom. The key common part to all potential solutions fulfilling these requirements is wearable embedded systems, with longer periods of autonomy, offering wider functionality, more communication possibilities and increased computational power. As electronic and information systems on the human body, their role is to collect relevant physiological information, and to interface between humans and local and/or global information systems. Within this context, there is an increasing need for applications in diverse fields, from health to rescue to sport and even remote activities in space, to have real-time access to vital signs and other behavioral parameters for personalized healthcare, rescue operation planning, etc. This book's coverage will span all scientific and technological areas that define wearable monitoring systems, including sensors, signal processing, energy, system integration, communications, and user interfaces. Six case studies will be used to illustrate the principles and practices introduced.