Makoko 2035: An Encyclopedia

Wearable Technology

Prevalent as the cell phone was at one time in Makoko and in Lagos more generally, it presented difficulties for its owner that were only addressable through techniques of so-called "ubiquitous computing." Primary among these difficulties, for Makokoans in particular, was the fact that interactivity with a cell phone required the user to cease all manual activity. This was an untenable situation in a culture for whom working with one's hands is both a necessity and a point of pride. Therefore, the first-wave hackers who emerged from the early experiments with technological education at the Floating School sought to address this issue by leveraging their experience with micro-controllers, embedded systems programming, recycling of outmoded AR technologies, and sensor networks. It was quickly discovered that the primary affordance of the cell phone was its computational power, but that it was unnecessary for its inputs and outputs to be embedded within the device itself. Using short range wireless communications, these hackers developed a system of wearable peripherals that could interface with the Mother (short for motherboard), relieving the user of the need to interact directly with the central processing device. The Mother retains a small, retractable screen with touch interface in the event that wireless communication is disrupted, but it primarily serves as the CPU for all wearable technologies connected to it. Reciprocally, this relieves the wearables themselves of unnecessary embedded circuit boards that may become uncomfortable, wet, or otherwise damaged by daily use.

Examples of peripherals that may be connected to the Mother are: AR goggles or wireless-enabled AR contacts; luminescent, color-changing clothing capable of flashing messages or becoming matte-black for the purposes of stealth; smart-tattoos or other bio-implants; environmental sensors and networked, nano-porous materials capable of responding to environmental conditions; and of course microphones and biosensors.

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