Eurotech's U.S. arm, Parvus, will demonstrate the company's innovative wrist-worn PC at a military technology conference June 19 in Washington, D.C. The Zypad WL 1000 runs Linux or Windows CE, and features hands-free operation, wireless networking, GPS tracking, and patent-pending… power management technology.

(Click for larger view of Parvus Zypad WL 1000)

Eurotech announced its wrist-worn PC in March. It said a MIPS-based version of the device would ship in June, followed by an ARM-based model sometime later.

The device targets emergency search-and-rescue, healthcare, homeland security, maintenance, law enforcement, logicstics, transportation, and defense applications.

Zypad WL 1000 (Click to enlarge)

The Zypad WL 1000 is based on a Raza Microelectronics 32-bit MIPS-based AU 1100 processor (formerly offered by AMD) clocked at 400MHz. It has 64MB each of flash RAM and flash ROM, with expansion available through an SD card slot.

The Zypad WL 1000 has a 3.5-inch QVGA (240 x 320) touchscreen with automatic contrast adjust. It also features an 11-key backlit keypad.

Network interfaces include 802.11b/g, GPS, and PAN Bluetooth class 2 (32 feet), each with integral antennas. The device also includes USB 1.1 host and device ports, along with stereo audio I/O.

The Zypad WL 1000 comes with a 2200 mAh 3.6 V Li-ion removable battery pack claimed to offer up to eight hours of life, depending on usage. An external power supply and car adapter will be available separately.

Additional touted features include:

• Comfortable weight distribution, even over clothing
• Tilt and dead reckoning system — can determine if a user is motionless or has fallen down, and initiate radiosonde beacon
• Patent-applied-for switch initiates standby mode when users arm hangs down beside the body
• Claimed battery life up to 8 hours

Mike Southworth, marketing director, said Pavus is optimistic about the marketplace prospects for the unique wrist-worn PC. “The WL 1000 is a great platform for systems integrators and OEMs to build products on. The types of projects expressing interest in the defense space include healthcare systems that provide treatment information and patient history to field paramedics. There's a Navy program that calls for such devices in the thousands of units.”

Availability

The Zypad WL 1000 is being manufactured by Eurotech in Italy, according to Southworth. Parvus currently has demo units, and expects to have the product “on the shelf” in late July, priced at $2,500.

Eurotech's Wrist-worn PC roadmap also calls for an ARM-based model by year's end, Southworth said.

The Zypad WL 1000 is being demonstrated at the Armed Forces Communication Electronics Association's 2006 TechNet International Conference held today in Washington D.C.

 
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