Teltronics Inc’s new voice controlled wearable computer contains the world’s smallest multimedia-equipped Pentium computer board. It reflects the drive to miniaturization as much as voice controlled applications, measuring only 1 x 5.5 x 7.5. Developed by Interactive Solutions Inc, a subsidiary of the 25- year old Teltronics, Mentis is smaller than a laptop but provides instant voice command access to a repository of multimedia content and voice control of Windows. Claimed to have all the functionality of a desktop, the system can be worn or carried and it may be keyboard rather than voice-controlled. The modular assembly consists of three separate, attachable sections: the main processing unit which contains most of the electronics; the universal utility bay is an attachable housing section for rotating media, like a CD-ROM or a second hard drive; and the battery pack which, when installed, fits into the bottom of the Mentis Processing Unit or snaps onto the bottom of the bay. The life of the lithium ion battery depends on processor strength. With a 100 MHz Pentium processor operating at full power, the battery pack will last up to eight hours. In standby mode it lasts 48 hours. The MentiSoft software is a real-time, 32-bit, multimedia authoring system running full-motion video, CD-quality audio, three-dimensional animation and graphics and text. An MPEG decoder plug-in card and enhanced IDE hard drive allows the system to display flicker-free 30 frames a second, full-motion video. The system has two display screens. The first is a flat panel, LCD screen and the second is a head-mounted display. Both provide VGA or better, and both have mini-boom microphones. Mentis can be configured with a variety of connectivity options: from wired Ethernet to two-way satellite communication. The system is being tested by a wide variety of automobile, military and aeronautical organizations. It is available now though the price depends on configuration.
