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Steve Mann: Pioneer of Wearables and Extended Reality - IEEE Spectrum

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Willie Jones covers transportation for IEEE Spectrum and the history of technology for The Institute. Steve Mann known as “the father of wearable computing,” is seen here wearing the “Eyetap,” an extended reality device he invented which transfers video images recorded from his point of view to a monitor. In the 1980s, people weren’t wearing head-mounted cameras, displays, or computers. Except for high school student Steve Mann, who regularly wore his homemade electronic computer vision system (seeing aid). Back then, Mann attracted stares, questions, suspicion, and sometimes hostility. But it didn’t stop him from refining the technology he developed. It now underlies augmented-reality eyeglasses—including those by Google and Magic Leap—that are used in operating rooms and industrial settings such as factories and warehouses. EMPLOYER: University of Toronto JOB TITLE: Professor of electrical and computer engineering, computer science, and forestry MEMBER GRADE: Fellow ALMA MATERS: McMa

The Institute IEEE Member News Computing Careers Profile The Accidental Engineer Who Conjured Up Extended Reality How Steve Mann earned the “father of wearable tech” title Willie D. Jones 19 Aug 2025 6 min read Willie Jones covers transportation for IEEE Spectrum and the history of technology for The Institute. Steve Mann known as “the father of wearable computing,” is seen here wearing the “Eyetap,” an extended reality device he invented which transfers video images recorded from his point of view to a monitor. Randy Quan/Toronto Star/Getty Images

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