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Re: display options?

 wrote:

> I had an idea a few days ago: instead of one big display,
> why not use two or three independent displays for different
> tasks? have, say, one on a watch (text for alerts), a pda like
> interface (hand held small touch screen, say), and a low res `
> hmd(m1-type), all at the same time?

This is something I have explored in depth and it does make
a great deal of sense. A sleeve mounted display like this
works great for showing GPS coords, direction, speed, time,
phone numbers, etc:

http://home.earthlink.net/~wearable/galleria/jacket/

More pics of the big LCD here
http://home.earthlink.net/~wearable/galleria/fashion/

The other thing that works well is using a small LCD for a
menu system to launch things. I have used small 4x20 LCDs
to launch apps on a 6.4 inch LCD, and even to control those
apps. I have done it with matrix-keypad style input and also
using a small infrared remote control. I put that hybrid display
idea to work in this designer purse wearable:

http://home.earthlink.net/~wearable/galleria/purse/

My original concept of "flexible modular wearable" included
the idea of different displays for different tasks/contexts:

http://wearables.blu.org/wear-hard-00/20003744.html

Hmm ... that was dated Oct 2000 ... and I'm still very far
away from those goals. But they are doable. I want to go
back to a sleeve mounted display, but a bit larger VFD,
and one of these days I will break down and get a CO-3
VGA color HMD, I just wish the driver electronics were
a lot smaller.

> I don't know anything about implementation; does
> anyone know if this is possible?

Sure. Most embedded boards will have a VGA port
and a header for LCD, some also have NTSC output.
All three of those will display the same image. You
can interface small text LCDs and palm pilot style
interfaces over RS232, same goes for touch screens.

> possibly applications could be separated into
> different parts; e.g. toolbars on one display and
> workspace on another. or is everyone already doing
> this and I'm just the last to figure it out?

The hitch is that most apps are not written to work
this way. So the drill is to write your own drivers for
the small displays and write apps that make use of
them. For example, a GPS app might render a map
on the 6.4" LCD and at the same time render the
position, altitude, time, speed etc on a small text
sleeve display. The sleeve display could also be
a menu to select functions on the main app. I have
tried some of these ideas and they work well and
are very interesting. But it's all custom work.

  -- Doug

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