Article

Armed for e-commerce

NCR's Knowledge Lab has something unusual up its sleeve -- a 'personal e-commerce solution' called the M-Bracelet. Among its nifty applications: it can connect to ATMs and POS terminals in place of a card.by Ann All, editor

February 21, 2002

Palm Pilots, cell phones and other handheld devices that allow users to check their email, surf the 'Net and more -- cutting-edge stuff, right?


Not to the researchers at NCR's Knowledge Lab, who take the concept of go-anywhere technology one step further with a wearable computer that doubles as a bracelet worn around consumers' wrists.

NCR describes the M-Bracelet, which it unveiled at the recent International Symposium on Wearable Computers in San Francisco, as a "personal e-commerce solution." Wearing one, a consumer can link to Web sites, send and receive messages and store electronic documents such as medical records or airline tickets.

Because it can connect to ATMs and POS terminals in place of a card, the bracelet also could revolutionize the way consumers get cash.

NCR's London-based Knowledge Lab is a research and development unit that tries to identify consumers' desires -- even before consumers themselves do -- and then create viable technologies to fulfill them.

"Like any company that's in the technology business, you have to accept that things are always going to be changing and moving forward," said the Knowledge Lab's Robin MacKay, one of the developers of the M-Bracelet. "You must look not only at the near future, but at the broader future as well."

The Knowledge Lab enlisted a New York City-based company called 5050 Ltd., which has worked on several projects involving wearable computers, to help define the M-Bracelet concept.

Looks matter

Form was just as important as function in designing the bracelet, according to both NCR and 5050 Ltd.

"When making a wearable computer, first and foremost you have to make it wearable and then a computer," said Despina Papadopoulos, director of emerging technologies for 5050 Ltd. "If it's not successful as a wearable, it won't be successful as a computer because people will not adopt it."

Part of the inspiration for the M-Bracelet came from her own experiences as a consumer, Papadopoulos said. Wearing pants or a skirt with no pockets, she often wanted to make a quick trip to her bank or a nearby store.

"I'm only carrying my ATM card and my keys, so I don't really need a bag," she pointed out. "We wanted to incorporate those items into something that you can wear, that feels comfortable and looks good."

The bracelet isn't as easy to leave behind on the subway or a delicatessen counter as a bag or a wallet, Papadopoulos added. "You can't forget it because you're wearing it."

The need for "personal, appealing technology" is an increasingly important trend, MacKay emphasized.

"The key is creating something you'd want to own as an item before you even think about its function," he explained. "The really important thing is fitting technology into the context of people's lifestyles and their day-to-day activities."

In particular, consumers make a "sort of emotional investment" in items that they carry and use every day, MacKay said. Thus, a laptop, PDA or cell phone becomes almost an extension of one's personality.

Although they have eschewed appearance in the past, manufacturers of high-tech gadgets are starting to realize that looks do make a difference. Once limited to basic black and beige, consumers are now snapping up products in shades like silver and cobalt.

NCR intends to offer the M-Bracelet in 20 different colors.

The rubber bracelet is no more unwieldy than a watch. Because it uses flexible circuit technology, there is no need for a rigid circuit board. That sets it apart from previous incarnations of wearable computers, which were mostly clunky, head-mounted PCs worn by military personnel and workers on oil rigs, according to MacKay.

Plug and play

Information is stored on plug-in modules that allow a consumer to select which functions he will use on a given day. So, for example, he could carry his ATM card, an electronic "key" to the office and a theater "ticket" one day, then swap the ticket for his medical records the next day.

MacKay likened it to a high-tech wallet, noting, "You can put into it whichever things you think you'll need."

One of the bracelet's most "serendipitous" features, Papadopoulos said, is a plug-like device that allows those wearing it to exchange messages with other wearers. Unlike email, no host server is necessary for this exchange.

"You're bypassing the network for a more personal connection," she said. "We wanted to balance the bracelet's digital elements with a physical, social element."

Injecting a traditional gesture like a handshake into a digital relationship is a way of preserving the human element -- and expanding upon it, MacKay said. "We must take into account not only electronic networks, but also human networks."

The real world

Just how feasible is the technology?

The bracelet has no custom components, and an injection-molding process could be set up to produce them in mass quantities. While modification of the existing ATM/POS infrastructure would be necessary, MacKay noted that retrofitting a terminal to "read" the bracelet would likely be simpler than adding a smart card reader.

"A smart card has eight contact points, while the bracelet has just two," he said.

The biggest expense would be outfitting machines with an opening into which consumers could insert their bracelet-clad wrists. The Knowledge Lab has already designed a prototype, a cup-like device.

"If the industry decides consumers are ready for it, they could implement it tomorrow," Papadopoulos said.

MacKay envisions a scenario in which a service provider might give the bracelets away to establish a community of users and create a market for related products, similar to the business model used by some cellular companies.

"Giving hardware to the consumer offers them a closer and more rich relationship with the provider. (The bracelet) is a value proposition to the consumer, and ultimately to the service provider," he said.

The bracelet's hardware and software both feature an open architecture, which makes it easy for developers and even users to add new applications. "That way, others contribute to the lifespan of your product," Papadopoulos said.

Designing computers that can be worn and loading them with desirable applications may help make them truly ubiquitous. Making the technology attractive and user friendly is the key to its ultimate acceptance, MacKay said.

"Everyone is talking about the Internet and wireless devices but, compared to something like television, they haven't really taken off yet."