An Exploratory Research for Design of Digital Fashion Product Based on the Concept of "Wearable Computer" I

웨어러블 컴퓨터(Wearable Computer) 개념(槪念)을 기반(基盤)으로 한 디지털 패션상품(商品)의 디자인 가능성(可能性) 탐색(探索) I

The purpose of part I of this research was to study the definition of the wearable computer, the influential factors which led to its advent, the history of its progress and to prospect the figure of future research in fashion field of it. A qualitative analysis was applied to fulfill the research purpose, in which academic reports, professional journals, newspapers, magazines, books and sites were reviewed and analyzed in depth. The wearable computer which has been developed as a type of the portable hardware for computing during the first period, 1960s-1980s, has progressed into apparently softer and technologically advanced prototypes during the 2nd period, early-mid 1990s. From the beginning of the 3rd period since late 1990s, 'really wearable' prototypes were developed as the results of efforts to invent the more comfortable and interactive 'wearcomp' Based on the result of the analysis, the meaning of wearable computer in fashion field was interpreted in this study, as a reflection of converged demand and tendency of this era. New issues for future research of the wearable computer were suggested in the viewpoint of fashion design.