Microsoft has recently filed a patent for a backpack with artificial intelligence (AI), which has the ability to perform various tasks based on voice commands from the user and analyze the surroundings. The patent was submitted on May 2, 2023, and was published on August 24, 2023, as reported by the Mspeperuser portal.
This AI backpack is designed to go beyond the capabilities of ordinary smartwatches, offering advanced features such as environmental scanning, voice command recognition, and contextual task execution. To achieve this, the backpack is equipped with a range of components including pressure sensors, a microphone, a camera, GPS, a compass, a barometer, biometric sensors, a speaker, a visual display, a processor, and other necessary components.
The patent provides a detailed description of the potential functions of this backpack. It can receive contextual voice commands from the user, which may implicitly refer to an object present in the surroundings. Using its sensors, artificial intelligence engine, and digital assistant, the backpack can identify the object and perform a contextual task in response to the voice command. This contextual task is usually related to the recognized object, and the backpack can deliver the appropriate response to the user.
Within the patent, a skier is depicted wearing the AI backpack and asking a question about the slopes. The backpack responds by saying, “No. This is a direction outside the highway. Roll to the right to stay within the track.”
While it is uncertain whether the backpack will be showcased at Microsoft’s upcoming September event, it is important to note that the filing of a patent marks just the initial step towards production. Many products never progress beyond the patent stage.
Microsoft has previously filed patents for products that have not materialized, including a three-dimensional phone and headphones with a fingerprint sensor.
Although the AI backpack won’t be featured at the upcoming event, Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s corporate vice president and main marketing manager for consumer products, affirmed through a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Microsoft will be sharing more information regarding their advancements in AI.