Throwback Tech: Wearables from way back when

Blasts from the past include a radio in a top hat, a wearable computer, and a speaker vest

The word “wearable” often brings modern hi-tech devices to mind, such as smartwatches or activity trackers, but the invention of portable gadgets goes back further in time than you might have imagined. Read on below to see the creation of some clever, and some not so clever, wearables from the past. 

Radio in a top hat


If this were 1922 you'd be amazed at the latest in wearable technology: a radio in a top hat. Small enough to fit in a large hat, with headphones designed to be worn underneath, sporting one of these radios upon your head was a thrill. Referred to as a “crystal radio,” it was likely powered by nothing more than the radio waves themselves, and was not capable of producing loud sounds. Still, carrying batteries and vacuum tubes in your hat wasn’t bad for one of the first attempts at portable electronics technology.

Wearable computer


In the early 1960s when the computer age was flourishing, mathematics professor and author, Edward Thorp, began designing a wearable computer with the belief that it could help him predict the outcome in a game of roulette. He teamed up with fellow mathematics professor, Claude Shannon, and the two constructed the world’s first wearable computer. It consisted of a pair of devices: one concealed in a shoe, and the other hidden inside a cigarette pack.  

How did it work? Once the roulette ball was released, the individual operating the shoe-fitted device would tap his foot, inputting several data points. In turn, the device tucked into the cigarette pack would analyze the data using a predetermined algorithm to send out a wireless signal to a concealed earpiece worn by the second individual, who was the person placing the bet. The duo of devices aided the mathematicians in successfully predicting the outcome in a game of roulette.

Calculator watch


Hewlett Packard introduced its first calculator watch in 1977, and its top model sold for $850. Beyond their calculator functions, these wearables stored appointments, names, addresses, and phone numbers. The amount of information the watches were capable of storing was revolutionary, not to mention stylish. In fact, Sting, the lead singer of the rock band, The Police, wore one in the video for the song, Wrapped Around Your Finger .

Speaker vest


Wearing headphones while riding any kind of bike can be dangerous, but the 1980s had a solution for that: the speaker vest. All you had to do was plug your portable stereo into the Stereo Sound Vest and you were set for any adventure. It also came with zip-off sleeves so you could look the part.

Nintendo Power Glove


Produced by Mattel in 1989, the Power Glove was an accessory used to play video games on the original Nintendo Entertainment System. The concept behind the gadget was that you could play by waving your hand and clenching your fist, as well as by pressing buttons. The glove emitted ultrasonic sounds that humans couldn’t hear to sensors hooked up a television set. These sensors were capable of detecting finger and wrist motion, and to get the most out of the Power Glove, players would have to memorize different program codes and finger shortcuts to get the full range of motion in various video games. Perhaps this is where the idea behind Nintendo's Wii gaming system came from.

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