Augmented Perception: Next Generation Wearables and Human Machine-Interfaces

Products like Fitbit and the Apple Watch have brought to the public decades of foundational work on wearable technologies achieved by researchers in the IEEE CAS Society and related groups. Similarly, research into brain- and human-machine interface is starting to enter the public domain in applications including deep brain stimulation, prosthetic limb control, and human assistive devices. While researchers continue to explore new wearable sensing and human-interface paradigms, it is vital that we also explore what applications the next generation of wearable human-machine interfaces can and should enable. This talk will review key challenges and approaches within wearable assistive devices and brain/human interface technologies. Aspects of physiological, environmental, and behavioral sensing within wearable platforms will be discussed, and technical challenges such as miniaturization, power efficiency, and artifact removal will be highlighted. Approaches to brain-machine interface and human assistive technologies will, likewise, be analyzed. Finally, the next-generation concept of augmented human perception, real-time machine-enhanced awareness that expands natural human senses, will be introduced. Utilizing wearable sensing and real-time feedback through visual, audio, and tactile mechanisms, augmented perception is poised to revolutionize the human experience, enhance daily performance, and enable new pathways to address mental and physical health concerns.