The Daybreak of Wearable Computer systems: Lisa Krohn’s Cyberdesk

In 1993, effectively earlier than
The artist designed a prototype wearable PC that looked like nothing else. The CyberDesk was a pioneering endeavour in augmented reality technology, blurring the lines between the physical and digital worlds. As technology had largely automated the world of computing, Krohn imagined a futuristic, adaptable attire that seamlessly merged aesthetics with functionality.

Krohn pursued studies in art history and architectural history at Brown University, later obtaining a Master’s degree in the same fields.
RISD students completed their degrees earlier than those who finished an MFA at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, in 1988. As she wrote, she tapped into the zeitgeist that has long fascinated creatives, innovators, and intellectuals: the intersection of human experience and machine intelligence, with its promise of a thrilling hybrid future.

What’s Lisa Krohn’s Cyberdesk?

Though a functional prototype of the Cyberdesk remained conceptual, the yellow eyepiece hinted at an imminent retinal display.Lisa Krohn and Christopher Myers

The Cyberdesk, crafted from a combination of durable materials including resin, plastic, steel, and glass, was designed to be worn as a futuristic necklace. Four circular interfaces flank the breastbone, housing a prominent trackball that serves as the primary navigation device for accessing menu options via a connected keyboard. A sleek microphone is positioned against the throat, while a discreet earpiece is carefully inserted into the left ear. As Krohn envisioned it, the yellow tube would hover at the entrance of the proper eye, akin to a retinal scanner projecting a laser beam directly onto the back of the eye, creating a virtual screen perfectly centered in the individual’s line of sight. In the brain, there’s a portal hinting at a possible neural connection. What could harness power from both bodily movement and solar energy?

A portal on the edge of the Cyberdesk was intended as a neural gateway.Lisa Krohn and Christopher Myers

Krohn collaborated with a student from the Artwork Heart College of Design to develop two conceptual designs for the Cyberdesk, although it never progressed beyond the conceptual stage and became a functioning prototype. Despite a lack of foundational understanding, pioneering engineers had indeed explored analogous ideas. Although Krohn was aware of the research at the University of Washington’s Human Interface Technology Laboratory, she ultimately chose not to pursue a collaboration.

In an email exchange, Krohn described her design concept as “strategic foresight, speculative know-how, predictive design, or design fiction,” clarifying its nature. Krohn envisions a feasible future where human and machine converge to form a harmonious, super-advanced entity – a cyborg, as described on her company’s website: “Individual and machine merge into one seamless collaborative super-being!”

The CyberDesk was not Krohn’s sole creation in cyborg technology; indeed, his innovative portfolio extended far beyond this singular innovation. In 1988, before the advent of widespread smartphone use and internet searching, she conjured up
That combined satellite TV for PC navigation, a phone, a wristwatch, and local information services. Crafted from a flexible yet durable plastic, this innovative design allows for effortless folding into an elegant ornament that can be worn as a stylish cuff when the device is not in use.

Lisa Krohn created a foldable wrist computer that offers versatility and space-saving design. Lisa Krohn

Prior to the widespread adoption of the term “wearable,” Krohn created the Wrist PC prototype, pioneering the concept of wearable devices that integrated computer technology. Futurist
Is widely recognized for coining the term “wearable PC” and publishing a seminal article on the concept in 1991. Predicting that initial wearable applications would focus on the belts of maintenance personnel before extending to deskless, data-driven roles like inventory management in retail settings. He also proposed a wearable gaming console comprising a miniature display integrated into sunglasses, paired with a power-generating glove that amplifies user movements. Nowhere did he consider technological expertise as an artistic flair, nor was he likely pondering the feminine perspective when making his forecasts.

In the meantime,
As a graduate student at MIT, I was immersed in exploring concepts for mediated imagination. In his initial endeavour, Mann aimed to design advanced welding masks that could safeguard welders’ eyes from the intense glare of the electric arc while still allowing for unobstructed visibility. This prompted him to explore ways to utilize video cameras, programs, and computer systems to seamlessly translate his imagination into real-time visualizations. As the founders of Each Krohn and Mann navigated the digital landscape, they encountered analogous real-world hurdles: cellphones were still in their early stages, the internet was slowly gaining traction, GPS technology was primarily civilian-use and databases remained largely offline, with the hardware being cumbersome and bulky. While Mann built functional prototypes for personal testing, Krohn explored innovative concepts.

Each entry in Krohn’s phonebook functions as a distinct entity – dialer, recorder, and output device. The trio of Lisa Krohn, Sigmar Willnauer, and Tony Guido?

Krohn also dedicated himself to developing practical technologies for businesses. In 1987, she conceptualized and designed a pioneering prototype that would later revolutionize the field of…
A versatile device, featuring a built-in telephone with answering machine functionality and a printer for added convenience. Each “web page” in the phonebook performed a unique function, which was automatically adapted by an electrical switching mechanism as the page was turned, accompanied by clear printed instructions. The innovative design stood out starkly from the typically cumbersome and complicated answering machines of its era.

The phonebook exemplified the concept of “product semantics,” where a product’s design should effectively convey its purpose and significance, allowing users to intuitively understand its function. At Cranbrook, Krohn studied beneath
Designers who wholeheartedly endorsed that notion of creative vision. In Krohn and Michael McCoy’s 1989 essay “The Phonebook,” they explored the concept that the phonebook can be seen as a digital machine that is cast into a private agenda. This attempt to make a product reach out to its customers by informing them about how it operates, where it resides, and how it fits into their lives demonstrates an understanding of the importance of communication in today’s society.

Lisa Nakamura, a renowned expert in digital culture and feminist theory, pioneered the field of cyberfeminism by exploring the intersection of technology, embodiment, and gender. Her work on cyborgs – hybrid beings that blend human and machine – has significantly contributed to our understanding of the ways in which technology shapes our identities and experiences?

In 1993, Lisa Krohn pioneered the Cyberdesk, a groundbreaking innovation that bridged the gap between reality and science fiction, as wearable computer systems began to take shape.
Dietmar Quistorf

The CyberDesk, along with the Wrist PC, were pioneering examples of designs inspired by. Within the early 1990s, a feminist movement arose as a response to the male-dominated landscape of computing, gaming, and various online spaces, seeking to challenge and disrupt the status quo. Crafted within the realm of feminist science fiction, drawing inspiration from esteemed authors like Octavia Butler, Vonda McIntyre, and Joanna Russ, as well as innovative practitioners of hacking, coding, and multimedia artistry. Cyberfeminist movements evolved independently across the globe, with distinct threads emerging in Australia, Germany, and the United States. While traditional portrayals of cyborgs overwhelmingly favored a masculine perspective, cyberfeminist thinkers subverted this narrative by conceptualizing gender-neutral cyborgs and recombinant beings that harmoniously merged machines, plant life, humans, and animals.

The feminist theorist and historian of technology
Fueled by Donna Haraway’s seminal 1985 essay “A Cyborg Manifesto,” embedded within her book Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature, she posited that as the twentieth century drew to a close, humanity was converging with technology, blurring the lines between organic and synthetic entities. The cyborg’s core idea revolved around linguistic exchange, prompting them to explore whether artificial entities could facilitate seamless interplay between diverse languages and identities. Taken as a seminal text in the development of cyberfeminism, Donna Haraway’s work was re-released in her 1990 e-book.

Krohn envisioned a plausible future where the boundaries between human and machine would dissolve, yielding a harmonious fusion of individual and technology – a cybernetic organism, or cyborg.

In their 1989 essay, Krohn and McCoy further emphasized the significance of effective communication as a primary shortcoming in contemporary design. Designers contended that mainstream products had succumbed to a stifling homogeneity, sacrificing functionality for the sake of mass production efficiency, ultimately rendering their intended purpose obscure.

As Haraway and Krohn observed, alternative approaches to knowledge emerged, including the potential of microelectronics to transcend the limitations of the past. As they explored the intersection of human and machine, these women discovered innovative ways to transcend linguistic barriers and redefine feminist discourse, ultimately crafting a fresh narrative for their movement.

Cyberdesk 2.0

I had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Krohn during a roundtable discussion on The Cyberdesk at the 2023 annual conference of the…
. The collective team, comprising curators and conservators from both institutions – each possessing a Cyberdesk prototype in their collection – deliberated on a potential Cyberdesk model 2.0. Would sleek lines and futuristic architecture define a reimagined cityscape as Krohn’s innovative vision takes shape, incorporating cutting-edge technology to create a hub of sustainable innovation and progress.

By the dawn of 2023, Krohn dramatically revamped the Cyberdesk, breathing new life into this once-staid digital space. The device now leverages cutting-edge knowledge that was unavailable three decades ago, featuring sensors capable of monitoring brain activity, hydration levels, and stress metrics.Duvit Mark Kakunegoda

The group focused its discussion on the notion of “design futuring,” a concept popularized by Tony Fry in his 2009 e-book, “Design Futuring.” Designing futures is a proactive approach that shapes the long-term trajectory, rather than attempting to predict and then react to what unfolds. Can designers use design futuring to promote environmentally conscious practices and encourage sustainable consumption?

In the context of the Cyberdesk 2.0 initiative, securing a commitment to sustainability may yield a unique arrangement for procurement. The innovative resin provided a flexible material that conformed seamlessly to the natural curves of the human body. Despite its short-term benefits, the system’s long-term stability remains a significant concern. Despite the best efforts at conservation, the Cyberdesk is likely to degenerate into a sticky mess sooner rather than later. In an earlier installment of this series, I explored several key points.
Owned by John Bardeen, this artifact is plagued by the inherent vice of decaying materials.

Panelists considered alternative options such as biomaterials, discussing the entire product lifecycle, the challenges posed by digital waste, and the mining of rare earth elements. As they deliberated on how the design process and global supply chain might evolve if these components were considered from the outset, rather than being addressed later.

As historians, artists, curators, and conservators deliberated on the Cyberdesk, various ideas began to surface. Would numerous additional engineers currently be involved? That conversation could have held significant value for me. Artwork has the unique ability to unlock innovative designs and push boundaries in new mediums, simultaneously allowing us to reflect on knowledge gained in daily life. Artists can learn from engineers about innovative materials, cutting-edge technologies, and emerging opportunities. Collaborating effectively, we must separate knowledge and design from speculative and predictive elements. Engineers and artists can shape the long-term reality.