Wearable technology: Computing power on and in us

Microchips, both simple and complex, are already commonplace, but here Pia Heikkila looks at how they may yet revolutionise our inner space.

It would be difficult to imagine life without chips. They are everywhere - inside PCs, mobile phones, credit cards. Even humble desktop calculators have them.

And their small size means they can even go inside living organisms. Forget cat and dog ID chips for a moment, and think humans. The silicon-enhanced (as opposed to silicone-enhanced) human is no longer a sci-fi fantasy but a real life experiment. Kevin Warwick, a professor of cybernetics at Reading University, famously implanted a chip in his left arm two years ago.

The experiment was only scheduled to last for ten days before the chip was to be removed. The implant allowed him to turn on lights and open doors around his home. They had all been linked to computers so they could automatically sense his presence. Professor Warwick is due to have a second, more complex chip implanted soon, but this is something he is opting not to discuss in public this time around.

Commercially available 'implantable' chips have limited functionality today because they are only capable of storing very small amounts of information and transceivers - for sending out data - have a limited range of about three feet.

But perhaps this is to look at the subject of wearable processing power too narrowly. There are plenty of other applications out there (or close to market, their proponents promise).

A US company, Applied Digital Solutions, is about to launch an electronic tag, dubbed a Digital Angel. It can locate missing individuals, monitor medical conditions, or keep track of criminals.

Doctor Lawrence Weber, the inventor of Digital Angel, explained: "The Angel determines location by GPS [satellite-based Global Positioning System] and sends the information by wireless telephony to our secure website. Our monitoring centre acts to provide notification of alarms sent by the unit in accordance with the wishes of the authorised user or care giver."

A first-generation product is scheduled for beta testing in November. It will take the form of a unit worn outside clothing, much like a pager.

With an eye on performing life-saving operations, NASA has developed a pill transmitter, to be used to monitor a foetus during difficult pregnancies. The pill is inserted inside the womb where it monitors body temperature, pressure and other vital signs. It radios this information back to a remote terminal for analysis.

Medical science is keen to exploit emerging technologies but is not alone in this field. Microchips in key chains are already used for a wide variety of humdrum applications. Some major petrol sellers in the US offer fobs which allow customers to buy gas, charged to an account without the need for cash or credit cards. Such devices recognise users when they pull up to pumps and even allow for personalised greetings.

Other examples of wearable computers are barely noticeable. This month Japanese watchmaker Citizen unveiled a wristwatch that uses the Linux operating system. It allows remote access to a PC and the internet.

Going a step further, wearing motherboards might not sound a tempting idea for the fashion conscious but already clothes designers are looking to exploit young people's eagerness to use communication devices, such as mobile phones. If a teenager today can have an MP3 player inside their jacket lining alongside a watch that sends and receives messages, will they turn down a single implanted chip promising hassle-free entertainment in a few years time?

Piercing and tattoos were rare - or at least limited in their nature - in modern Western society before the body art craze of the 90s took off. A mini-transmitter inside a bellybutton ring could bring function to the world of piercing.

Take this a step further - or rather a great many steps further - and the idea that human bodies will become part machine becomes popular, in some circles at least.

Ray Kurzweil, well known as a US artificial intelligence specialist, has eagerly predicted the evolution of machines. He sees us humans gradually accepting technology. "In 10 years machines will have already begun to develop personalities and humans will start having 'relationships' with them. In 50 years time there will be little distinction between the machine and the human being," he said.

We've already considered the future of Moore's Law elsewhere in this Hot Topic, and it seems that whatever the specifics, today's chip technology, pushed forward by innovation and design advances, will become more powerful while constantly shrinking in size.

What this means for wearable or implanted technology isn't completely clear but one thing seems to be certain - chips with everything seems to be a cliché that will only be used more.