Microsoft has been granted a patent for a somewhat peculiar backpack filled with various types of sensors. Microsoft refers to it as an ‘Artificial intelligence assisted wearable,’ and the idea seems to be that the backpack will function as a sort of smart assistant.
Built into the backpack are features including GPS, compass, cameras, LED lighting, as well as microphones and speakers, enabling the user to interact with the smart assistant and perhaps their surroundings. Utilizing the built-in sensors and artificial intelligence, the smart backpack is designed to assist the user with tasks such as text, image, face recognition, motion patterns, and more. This can occur both through an integrated computer and cloud servers that the backpack connects with.
The precise purpose of Microsoft’s smart backpack is somewhat unclear. Most of the sensors and applications covered by the backpack are already present in modern smartphones today. Functions not yet found in phones will likely make their way into them as technology advances. In the illustration below, the smart backpack aids a skier on an outing in finding the correct path.
