Xybernaut Corp. of Fairfax, Va. has begun enlisting some of Japan's top universities to help further its research and development of so-called "wearable computers," the worldwide market for which is expected to be worth around $2 billion by 2003.
Keio and Tokyo universities are the first of the renowned Japanese campuses to join Xybernaut's recently launched University Program, which also includes California Polytechnical Institute, Rutgers, and Bremen University in Germany.
The prestigious schools have agreed to help Xybernaut refine its industrial-use Mobile Assistant IV as well as explore potential features for a "PC-type Walkman" the company hopes to unveil to consumers late next year.