Steve Mann, Father of Wearable Computing

Steve Mann at the 2025 IEEE ICCE

Awards and Recognition

At the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics, ICCE, as Past President of the IEEE, I presented Steve Mann with the IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award.

About Steve Mann

Steve is a Professor of Computer Engineering in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. He is widely regarded as "The father of wearable computing." Professor Mann founded the MIT Wearable Computing Project, which has had a major impact on the development of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and eXtended Reality products and services.

Innovative Achievements

In 1998, he invented, designed, and built the world’s first smartwatch capable of downloading and running a wide variety of apps for health, well-being, and fitness tracking, ushering in a new era of personal health. More than 30 years ago, Mann also invented High Dynamic Range imaging, which is now used in nearly every commercially manufactured smartphone, as well as many other cameras and computer vision systems, including systems to help the visually impaired see. He invented HDR imaging in his childhood and brought this invention to MIT and further refined it there.

Personal Interests and Inventions

Steve lives in Toronto and is an avid swimmer, including ice swimming in the Winter. One of his inventions is a hydraulophone, a musical instrument that uses a pressurized hydraulic fluid, such as water, to make sound. He also developed wearable augmented reality goggles for swimming that allow a group of swimmers to monitor the state of fellow swimmers, especially for ice swimming. In the 1990’s Mann continuously transmitted his life’s experiences, in real-time, to his website for other people to view and respond to.

Extended Reality and Terminology

Steve has created his own terminology to describe interesting aspects of our experiences of reality. The figure below illustrates his view of the elements of our modern human experience, including the traditional physical world, composed of atoms, a modern social world of humans, which he characterizes as genes, and a virtual or cyber world of bits.

Chart to show relationship of extended reality to the world of genes, atoms and bits.

Combining the Cyber, Human, and Physical Worlds

Combining the cyber world with the physical world gives us the ability to compute and create models, such as digital twins. Combining the cyber world with the human world enables social media and the metaverse. Adding all three elements leads to various cyber/human/physical experiences that can be generally described as extended reality, XR.

Demonstrating the Interconnectedness of Reality

At the ICCE, Steve strove to give attendees experiences that illustrate his observations. For example, he held a lit light source in his hand to show that we are all made of meat and blood on the inside.

The IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award

The IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award was established in 1987 and recognizes outstanding contributions in the field of consumer electronics technology. The award is sponsored by the IEEE Ibuka Fund and is named in honor of Dr. Masaru Ibuka, who was the Honorary Chairman and co-founder of Sony Corporation. Ibuka’s innovative achievements and leadership have been an inspiration to several generations of electrical, electronics, and computer engineers.

Conclusion

Steve Mann’s contributions to the field of consumer electronics have been recognized with the IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award at the 2025 IEEE ICCE in Las Vegas.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who is Steve Mann?
  • Steve Mann is a Professor of Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto and is widely regarded as "The father of wearable computing."
• What is the IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award?
  • The IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award recognizes outstanding contributions in the field of consumer electronics technology.
• What are Steve Mann’s notable inventions?
  • Steve Mann has invented the world’s first smartwatch, High Dynamic Range imaging, and wearable augmented reality goggles for swimming, among other inventions.