CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS — Researchers from MIT Media Lab have taken wearable tech to another level by developing jewelry designed with small robots that can roam freely around your body. <br /> <br />The robot consists of motors connected to magnetic wheels on top and underneath the fabric, which allows it to change orientation. The overlay cover can be made of gem-like or fabric-like material. The invention is part of the Project Kino by MIT Media Lab. <br /> <br />The robots can form various shapes and designs when used as jewelry. They can also adjust the clothing of the user when detecting a change in temperature, or serve as a microphone when the user needs to answer a call. <br /> <br />Currently the robots are designed to be palm-sized, but researchers say they will be miniaturized to the point that they can be "seamlessly integrated into existing body ornamentation", according to the project website. <br /> <br />"We're thinking of wearables as a personal assistant," Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao of MIT Media Lab told TechCrunch. "We think in the future, when they can have a brain of their own, they can learn your habits, learn your professional style, and when they get smaller, they can blend into the things you wear." <br /> <br />According to Forbes, 411,000,000 smart wearable devices worth $34 billion will be sold in 2020. Wrist-based devices, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, are dominating the market at the moment and this trend is likely to continue.
