Overview

CS@VT researchers are investigating benefits of smartwatches, particularly in educational and health-related settings.  A smartwatch is a wrist-based computing device with primary functionality as a watch but with added functionality made possible by the inclusion of a capable processor, graphical display, sensors, and wireless communication capabilities.  Definitive in a smartwatch is the ability to program it, both in using the sensed information that it generates and in controlling what it displays and how people interact with it.  Much of our work has focused on ways that smartwatches can fit into the computer science undergraduate curriculum, toward teaching important lessons about sensor programming, multi-device coordination, hardware limitations, and opportunities afforded by the unique form factor.  While our initial efforts have focused on a junior-level course, ongoing and future work will examine how smartwatches can be used throughout K-12 and undergraduate education.