Wearable computers and PDA's are physically close to, or are in contact wit
h, the user during most of the day. This proximity would seemingly limit th
e amount of heat such a device may generate, conflicting with user demands
for increasing processor speeds and wireless capabilities. However, this pa
per explores significantly increasing the heat dissipation capability per u
nit surface area of a mobile computer by thermally coupling it to the user.
In particular, a heat dissipation model of a forearm-mounted wearable comp
uter is developed, and the model is verified experimentally. In the process
, this paper also provides tools and novel suggestions for heat dissipation
that may influence the design of a wearable computer.