Digitally Enhanced Reality

T he history of wearable computing reaches all the way back to the 1980s, with people like Steve Mann and Thad Starner using wearable devices to augment their senses and capture their everyday experiences.1 However, recent developments have brought about a fundamental shift in the digital augmentation of reality. In the near future, it will be feasible to continuously record a plethora of personal experiences— what we see and hear and even our vital signals—and provide both in-situ and pre-emptive access to related information, past experiences, and social exchange. This might significantly change the way we interact with others, remember our past, and share our experiences.