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Zypad – Wireless Wrist Computer

Parvus Corporation, a U.S. subsidiary of the EuroTech Group, has engineered Zypad WR1100, a rugged wrist-worn PC designed for use in harsh environmental conditions. Zypad meets specific military standards related to control of electromagnetic interference and compliance with strict emissions measures, making it an ideal solution for military, homeland defense, first responder, security, and emergency service fields, and in-vehicle applications. The WR1100 can be quickly configured to access any remote host system through wired or wireless interfaces using the Linux Kernal 2.6 operating system.

Zypad WR1100 integrates a number of innovative features, including WPAN (Bluetooth or ZigBee) and WLAN (IEEE 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi) wireless radio interfaces, a GPS receiver, and electronic compass for location detection, along with a biometric fingerprint sensor. It also includes a tilt and dead reckoning system that detects the position of the user’s arm, going into standby mode when the arm is hanging down beside the body. The WR1100 has an anytime-anywhere tracking system, for use in search and rescue operations, which can be activated if the user has been motionless for a specific period of time.

An important benefit in use of the WR1100 is its modularity. The Zypad has the ability to change device functions by simply replacing a module. Using the add-on module expansion system, which includes as standard, GPS or WWAN + GPS, quick changes in the configuration of the device through a plug-and-play and hot swap operations, are easily accomplished. Other standard modules include DGPS and SBAS (WASS, EGNOS), as well as the modular 3.6V Li-Ion interchangeable battery pack. Special order modules include: WWAN – GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS, WWAN + GPS – GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTs, all with an internal antenna.

Zypad uses 128 MB Flash memory and 256 MB RAM, as well as an SD card memory expansion; it also includes USB device and USB host ports (one each), as well as stereo audio and mono microphone interfaces. The unit’s 3” x 5” monitor has a VGA 640 x 480 high visibility color display with touch screen and automatic contrast. The display screen allows users to view data and images in either direct sunlight or through use of the night-vision option. Zypad WR1100 uses a cursor pad and virtual QWERTY onscreen keyboard for quick functional performance.

The entire WR1100’s unit in enclosed in a special fiberglass reinforced nylon-magnesium alloy case giving it durability, protection from the elements, and minimum weight – Zypad’s computer core weighs in at 1.42 lbs, and the wrist support weighs only 0.26 lbs. The ergonomic design of the unit provides for easy detachment of the core computing system from the wrist support with use of one hand.

TFOT first covered the previous model of the unit called ZYPAD WL1000, in 2006, which was an early version of Parvus’ wrist-wearable wireless computer. TFOT has covered several stories about wearable technology, including the Vital Jacket, Nike Sportband, and the headband infrared lie-detector.

For more information on the WR1100, visit Parvus’ website.

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About

Judy Duncan holds a B.S. degree in Occupational Therapy with a minor in Psychology. She has over 25 years of experience in the health care field working in a multitude of venues, including acute care, out-patient, home health, geriatric, early intervention and pediatric care. She has developed and presented educational programs at the professional, educational and community level. In addition to being a professional in the medical field, she is a published writer, with hundreds of reviews and articles appearing on-line, and is currently working on a speculative fiction novel.

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