A lot of Intel's wearable work is happening in India both as a research destination and a market that represents a global sample, said Michael A Bell, corporate vice president and general manager of the New Devices Group. In an interview with ET's Deepali Gupta, Bell said the hall mark of a successful wearable device will be something sleek and fashionable that performs limited functions, but does so with impeccable accuracy. Edited excerpts follow.
What are the key requirements a successful wearable should address?
A lot of people (device makers) have taken a phone and slapped it on the wrist. Wearable technology won't take off until the look and the form are as appealing as the technology. We are partnering with a lot of fashion houses...working to produce something truly fashionable and iconic but intelligent and mainstream.Something I find interesting are wearable devices in the wellness segment . To track your sleep, how much exercise you get. We just acquired a company that is the leader in that technology, Basis. So we take this technology and build it into our wearable technology.
So what is Intel making?
We are building out chipsets that are perfect for wearable devices. We are also investing on reference platforms, and in some cases, building the products that we're just going to let people take and brand as their own; which means not just the chipset but the colour, the feel, the software also. Building these devices can be more difficult to do correctly and well than mobile phones since it is something you are wearing, it is visible, has to be comfortable, it's going to be in contact with your body, whereas the phone is something you look at occasionally and put back in your pocket.
So what is Intel's aspiration?
The area I am leading has largely no leader or standard in the wearable market. Lot of what has been there for years they are glorified pedometers.The thing with those is that people are really enthusiastic when they buy them, but then after a couple of months, it is just counting steps and such so they put it in the drawer and forget about it. Basis Technology, that we acquired, has a whole areas of sensors that tell you steps, sleep patterns, takes that with a web backend, get continuous heart rate with no charging for 5 days. Overall it gives a sense of sleeping, how stressed you are, exercising or not. It also recommends tests you can take to get to the next level of wellness. It gives an experience that people want to go back to again.
So what are the exciting devices in the market?
Google glasses are a bit robotic at the moment , but the Google strategy is amazing. I see a day where Google glass technology can be put in an ordinary pair of glasses. We have a (geo-fencing ) watch built by out by our team in India. We have that technology between us and McAfee. The device will send geo-fencing alert if you wander out of a specified area. These devices are biometrically proof, so there are other utilities they such as banking access.
Does a lot of this research happen in India?
We do a lot of development work in our India facility. Yet, these wearable are not geographically specific. We do fundamental R&D as well as project development out of Bangalore. India is one of the places where we are looking to help accelerate work. When I was there I found people talk about the phones, prices collapse faster in India, and it is a leading indicator of what happens globally.
What are the key aspects in developing wearable technology?
Universal appeal. Are there regionally specific devices that can be built? Sure. We built a phone that was for Africa. But the idea of wearable technology is that it has universal appeal. These companies (fashion houses), if tech companies pay attention to them, will be a great asset. Wearables are really as much fashion accessories as they are technology . Fashion houses are to help make sure that it looks good and works well.
What are the key requirements a successful wearable should address?
A lot of people (device makers) have taken a phone and slapped it on the wrist. Wearable technology won't take off until the look and the form are as appealing as the technology. We are partnering with a lot of fashion houses...working to produce something truly fashionable and iconic but intelligent and mainstream.Something I find interesting are wearable devices in the wellness segment . To track your sleep, how much exercise you get. We just acquired a company that is the leader in that technology, Basis. So we take this technology and build it into our wearable technology.
So what is Intel making?
We are building out chipsets that are perfect for wearable devices. We are also investing on reference platforms, and in some cases, building the products that we're just going to let people take and brand as their own; which means not just the chipset but the colour, the feel, the software also. Building these devices can be more difficult to do correctly and well than mobile phones since it is something you are wearing, it is visible, has to be comfortable, it's going to be in contact with your body, whereas the phone is something you look at occasionally and put back in your pocket.
So what is Intel's aspiration?
The area I am leading has largely no leader or standard in the wearable market. Lot of what has been there for years they are glorified pedometers.The thing with those is that people are really enthusiastic when they buy them, but then after a couple of months, it is just counting steps and such so they put it in the drawer and forget about it. Basis Technology, that we acquired, has a whole areas of sensors that tell you steps, sleep patterns, takes that with a web backend, get continuous heart rate with no charging for 5 days. Overall it gives a sense of sleeping, how stressed you are, exercising or not. It also recommends tests you can take to get to the next level of wellness. It gives an experience that people want to go back to again.
So what are the exciting devices in the market?
Google glasses are a bit robotic at the moment , but the Google strategy is amazing. I see a day where Google glass technology can be put in an ordinary pair of glasses. We have a (geo-fencing ) watch built by out by our team in India. We have that technology between us and McAfee. The device will send geo-fencing alert if you wander out of a specified area. These devices are biometrically proof, so there are other utilities they such as banking access.
Does a lot of this research happen in India?
We do a lot of development work in our India facility. Yet, these wearable are not geographically specific. We do fundamental R&D as well as project development out of Bangalore. India is one of the places where we are looking to help accelerate work. When I was there I found people talk about the phones, prices collapse faster in India, and it is a leading indicator of what happens globally.
What are the key aspects in developing wearable technology?
Universal appeal. Are there regionally specific devices that can be built? Sure. We built a phone that was for Africa. But the idea of wearable technology is that it has universal appeal. These companies (fashion houses), if tech companies pay attention to them, will be a great asset. Wearables are really as much fashion accessories as they are technology . Fashion houses are to help make sure that it looks good and works well.
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