In this step you will be looking at a specific type of embedded system: a smartwatch.
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In this step you will be looking at a specific type of embedded system: a smartwatch. We will explain what makes these watches so smart, and explore the different types of smartwatch that are available. The exploration in this step will help you cement your understanding of what an embedded system is and what it does.
Smart devices and services are objects with computer systems embedded in them; they are usually connected to the internet and provide the user with enhanced functionality when compared to their non-smart counterparts. This extra ability to collect, process, and react to stimuli from the real world is what makes them smart.
The other part of what makes something smart is connectivity, both with the users and with other devices. Smart devices have heavily user-focused features and designs and take advantage of the other smart devices users have. So now you can use your watch to turn your lights on — what a time we live in!
A smartwatch is a watch that offers extra functionality and connectivity on top of the features offered by standard watches. They do this by including a computer system that carries out the normal functionality we expect, but can also handle some extra bells and whistles.
The title “smartwatch” doesn’t describe just one device, but a large range of devices with huge variety in their design and functionality. They all share some of the same functionality, which is why they share a title.
The common features are:
They also have some common design features:
In the next step we will focus on one particular type of smartwatch. For now, let’s take a look at two broad categories of smartwatch and examine their feature sets and design choices to see how they reflect a use case. How are the features shaped around the type of user these watches are trying to attract?
One of the more common feature sets found in smartwatches is that of a fitness or lifestyle tracker.
Common pieces of functionality found in these types of watch are:
They also share some specific design features:
The brand that is most synonymous with this type of smartwatch is fitbit. Their watches are purposefully small and fully waterproof. One look at their advertising tells you all about the types of users they have in mind.
The Medical Alert Watch
Not all smartwatches have internet usage as their cleverness quotient, some measure their cleverness in other ways, such as a medical alert, or fall detection watch. Apple Watch comes with this capability, though other made-for-purpose watches claim high efficacy. See Apple vs Kanega Fall Detection Comparison.
There are also a lot of smartwatches that pair with your mobile phone and have feature sets that interact with the phone’s features.
They will include:
These watches tend to share more design features with their phone counterparts than with each other. This being said, they do have some common design features:
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The most prominent smartwatch of this type would have to be the Apple Watch. It was one of the first internet-connected watches, and is certainly the watch with the most mainstream popularity. The Apple Watch shares a visual style with the company’s line of iPhones, which had already become fashion items before the release of the watch.
Each of the types above has a specific type of user at its heart. Every design choice and component in them has been shaped by the needs of that user, or what the designers see as the needs of that user. These aren’t general-purpose devices; no one smartwatch will work for every user. To stand out and create successful devices, manufacturers will pick an audience and design the watch in a way that will appeal to them.
This isn’t just true of smartwatches; all embedded systems are user-driven. You won’t find open-ended features (things like disk drives or USB ports) that allow the users to change the functionality of the watches.
Consider one of the following users. What features would you include in a watch that was designed for them?
Leave a comment with your ideas and designs aimed at one of these users.
The smartwatch made its debut in 1972 and has revolutionized from there. Tech companies slowly started to delve into the industry, and their models paved the way for today’s smartwatches. Here is a brief but complete history of smartwatches.
In 1972, the Hamilton Watch Company, paired with Electro/Data Inc, created the first LED prototype watch. Quickly after the Pulsar watch was introduced, various Japanese companies experimented with watch technology.
Around that time, personal computers were gaining popularity. Seiko jumped on the bandwagon and became a pioneer in smartwatches. In 1983, Seiko released the Data 2000 watch. The Data 2000 had an external keyboard and could store up to two thousand characters.
In 1994, Timex Datalink introduced the first watch that could download data from a computer wirelessly. Timex co-developed this watch with Microsoft. Notably, NASA implemented the Timex Datalink for space missions.
In 1999, Samsung released the first watch phone equipped with a speaker and microphone, a significant moment in the history and evolution of the smartwatch. Samsung did not stay in the industry during this period for long, but they returned recently for a good reason.
In the early 2000s, IBM produced a watch called the WatchPad. The WatchPad featured one of the first touch-sensitive displays and had up to sixteen megabytes of memory. Shortly after the WatchPad, Fossil released their Wrist PDA watch that could exchange data with other PCs and had both a virtual keyboard and touch screen.
Microsoft developed one of the first true smartwatch models by the name of SPOT (Smart Personal Object Technology.) This smartwatch included weather alerts, news updates, and stock updates, and it could receive emails and messages.
In 2012, Pebble changed the game when they showed the smartwatch market that there was an actual demand for this tech gadget. The following year, Omate became the first company to create an independent smartwatch, marking the beginning of the market boom for smartwatches.
This demand quickly snowballed into what the smartwatch market is today. Android and Apple continuously develop new models featuring various components and add-ons. This is also where The Angel Watch Company’s kid’s cell phone watch comes into play, a smartwatch geared toward a younger demographic.
In the history and evolution of the smartwatch, smartwatches took a while to become popular. After the smartwatch got its start in 1972, its popularity grew exponentially. Smartwatches are a game-changer in the world of technology and serve as wonderful alternatives to cell phones and other modern-looking watches.
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