Out of the approximately 70 teams that applied, 15 were chosen through strict screening to advance to the main contest. KAIST made the decision to increase the number of finalists from 10 to 15 this year as interest in wearable devices has heightened in the wake of the release of products such as Google Glass and the Samsung Galaxy Gear. These 15 teams were awarded with 1.5 million Korean Won and various smart devices including phones and tablets to aid them in creating demo units of their ideas.

One notable entry in this year’s contest was a device that allowed a disabled individual to control a smartphone using just facial muscles. The device, in the form of a headband, would read the user’s facial movements and move the cursor on the screen. Another device allowed for the user to control a smartphone by making hand gestures. The movements of the user’s fingers were read to perform tasks such as answering calls or taking a picture, and files could be transferred by a handshake with another person wearing the same device.

The Wearable Computer Workshop was held alongside the contest with the topic “The Present and Future of Wearable Computers.” Various talks were given regarding topics such as development trends in wearable device technology and industry outlook.

As chairperson of the contest, Professor Yoo stated, “As we can see from the release of the Samsung Galaxy Gear this year, wearable computers are the next generation information technology devices to follow smartphones. This year’s contest and workshop are opportunities to increase public interest in wearable computers and for professionals to discuss and exchange information on the present and future of wearable computer technology.”