Archive for the 'Concept Design' Category

You might know the term ‘talk to my hand’ used in situations like “you’d be as well talk to my hand ‘cos I ain’t gonna listen to you anyway“.

A group of engineering students at Carnegie Mellon University gave this term a twist and created a hand that talks.

The students Bhargav Bhat, Hemant Sikaria, Jorge L. Meza and Wesley Jin demonstrated their project ‘HandTalk‘ a sensor equipped glove that translates finger and hand gestures into spoken words.

The motivation for this concept is to enable the communication between deaf persons and persons that do not have knowledge of the Sign language.

This is the first demonstrator model to show the functionality based on a limited vocabulary of 32 words which is not bad for a version number of v0.1

The HandTalk works like this: sensors in the glove pick up gestures and transmit the data wirelessly via Bluetooth to a cell phone which runs a Text to Speech software. The sensor data are converted first into text and then to voice output. A person not knowledgeable in Sign language can listen via the cell phone what the other person is saying in Sign language form.

I like the simplicity and the (very) cheap components these students used to create this amazing and truly interactive glove that could help to improve greatly the communication barrier between deaf persons and people not familiar with the Sign language.

A brilliant idea. Check out the excellent organized project documentation which is available online. A highly interesting and inspirational source of a wearable interactive glove.

[CMU via Post Gazette]

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BoomBoxes are something from the distant past (80s), BoomBags start to emerge in the market recently.

BoomJackets or in this case a Hoodie give the ‘Boom’ a new twist of listening to music without blocking the ears completely to stay aware about the surroundings when out on the streets.

The ‘Hood.e’ is a design concept of Tim Dubitsky who created it as a present for his nephew who walks a dangerous route to school that crosses busy thoroughfares.

As Tim observes correctly, earphones block out all sounds around us which can lead to dangerous situations and even accidents.

Tim Dubitsky didn’t release any information on how the speakers are integrated in the hoodie, if the speaker can go through washing machine or dry-cleaned cycles or if the speakers are detachable.

We put forward the design challenge to our creative readership to come up with a solution for a washing machine proof wearable speaker or a concept where the wearable speaker system can be detached during cleaning.

I can give you one hint: Nike had as part of their ACG range a CommJacket on the market for a short time (back in 2005) where the small speaker unit was attached via simple but effective snap buttons at the collar of the outdoor Jacket.

Creating wearable, detachable speaker is not as impossible as it might look at first.

Any other brainstorming ideas for a wearable speaker in clothing is very welcome in our comments

[source: core77 via Gizmodo]

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We have seen gloves that control the iPod, that keep the fingers cozy warm in winter and that make phone calls. The next generation of gloves will have many more sensors integrated to control multiple wearable devices by lifting different fingers.

This is at least the vision of RallyPoint, a recent MIT startup, which wants to deliver innovative solutions that reliably enhance the safety and effectiveness of professional heroes: Soldiers, law enforcement officers, firemen, and rescue divers.

The glove called ‘Handwear Computer Input Device‘ (HCID), will be used as an input device for soldiers’ wearable computer systems. It has four push-button sensors sewn into its pinky finger, fourth finger, middle finger and index finger, as well as a fifth sensor on the middle finger that can act like a computer mouse.

Embedded in the backhand area are three accelerometers. The sensors are used to activate radio communications, view and navigate electronic maps, and send commands.

The glove’s functionality makes a lot of sense for the soldier in the battle field where silence is not only gold but also life saving. Being able to communicate with fellow soldiers via the wearable electronic system silently can safe lives.

Rescue personal and emergency staff will be another area to be explored for the usefulness of this concept.

Going down the time line I can see the computer game industry adopting the Handwear for even more realistic game experience after the successful adaption of the 3rd space gaming vest.

The Handwear Interactive Glove is yet another example of the emergence of a truly wearable electronic wardrobe. Gloves that control an iPod today will soon become a MacBook navigator

[via Technology Review]

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I am ‘borrowing’ part of my headline from an initiative of Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York City which run last year an exhibition called: ‘Design for the other 90%‘.

This exhibition touched on the fact that most cutting edge technological developments are accessible to only 10% of the world population while the other 90% does not have the means to operate them because there is no electricity available in remote areas.

Addressing this issue, a team at KVA MATx under the lead of Sheila Kennedy , Principal at KVA MATx has developed a concept using textiles with integrated flexible solar panels to convert sunlight into electrical energy, providing a completely self-contained source of renewable power and light, the Portable Light.

At the time the Portable Light concept has been developed it was ‘revolutionary’ as the use of flexible solar panels was very new.

Flexible solar panels can be integrated into ‘everyday products’ like bags or blankets minimizing the materials needed to create a portable power generator. The electricity is stored in the integrated battery which drives two high brightness LEDs giving people in remote areas reading and working light after sunset or allow them to charge other essential electronic devices.

A brilliant idea that could indeed bring the other 90% of the world population delight into their homes.

Two years later, flexible solar cells in bags and even in clothing became reality as the many wearable solar products featured on talk2myShirt show.

Only, the relative high cost of flexible solar panels will make solar bags accessible to the 10% part of the population and I am afraid not to the 90% which very likely will not have the money required to buy solar bags.

Sure, a torch and a pair of batteries would be cheaper but the materials used to produce the torch are less sustainable than textiles. The batteries have to be replaced frequently and will fill up the landscape, polluting the environment.

The idea of using ‘everyday’ products like bags and upgrade them to a Solar Power generator with illumination is great. Accessible to some right now for remote camping places but not yet to the ‘Other 90%’.

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We have seen T-Shirts that sniff out Wi-Fi signals and show them on the chest. Although this might be too much geek for some it does have appeal to others (I may count myself to the ‘others’ category).

There is the other option of a more discrete Wi-Fi sniffing integrated in bags as alternative to taking out the computer only to check if a useful and strong enough signal is available.

And now we have the Wi-Fi sniffing sneaker like this upgraded Nike Dunk which is pushing the fashion boundaries very far. Never mind the style of the Nike’s, this concept sneaker has been done in 2006 so they are out of fashion by now.

The remaining question still is: does such a concept appeal to some? To anyone? Or is this creative work just demonstrating what could be done?

If a shoe would record my daily walking jogging or running profile and upload via Wi-Fi to my online tracking system, I could see the point.

If a Wi-Fi sneaker could interact with a computer game a la Wii, I do see the point for having one.

To be fair, I like the integration of the Wi-Fi indication in the sneaker. Neatly done without changing the shoes wearability nor disturbing its appearances.

The designer Stefan Dukaczewik calls his concept sneaker ASRD - ‘A Step in the Right Direction’. The ASRD sneaker is equipped with an integrated 802.11 detection unit embedded under the flap of the left shoe.

Once the pressure sensitive insole is activated, the unit scans the surrounding area for Wi-Fi signals and displays the result through LEDs.

The three LEDs on the flap enclosure represent the signal strength of any Wi-Fi signal within a 50 meter area. A blinking LED represents no signal, while a lighting LED shows that there is a signal present.

If one day those Wi-Fi sneakers become available make sure you keep them clean and avoid muddy streets or you won’t see the signal indication

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In the business world, Power-Dress means getting a ‘professional looking’ outfit, not to catchy, not to low profile. Your outfit should show you are in charge.

In Wearable Electronic, Power-Dress has a different meaning, it actually generates power which in turn can be used to power Blackberries, iPhones and so forth. Point in case: Amanda Parkes’ and Adam Kumpf’s Piezing dress.

The Piezing dress generates power using the natural movement of the human body. The fabric around the joints is woven with piezoelectric film fibers which convert mechanical strain, created during the fabric’s movement, into electrical power while the wearer moves around.

With a positive charge on one side and a negative charge on the other, the piezoelectric material creates a voltage when it is deformed like bent or twisted. An integrated rectifier circuit connects the strips to capacitors which store electrical charge and feed the electrical power to the coin batteries disguised as buttons.

The creative power behind the Piezing, Amanda Parkes and Adam Kumpf  are grad students at MIT Media Lab.

Their Piezing power-dress was part of a runway fashion show last Friday at the ‘2nd Skin: Imaginative Designs in Digital & Analog Clothing’ at the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

The Piezing design concept is extending the growing list of wearable power concepts. Although the electricity generated in this way might not be able to power an MP3 player or cell phone, it will be sufficient for sensors monitoring heart rate or other biometric parameters interesting for fitness and sport enthusiasts.

While the necessary clothing movement to make the Piezing concept work might not be sufficient in street wear it will work fine in sports clothing where movement is an essential part.

A brilliant idea using piezo material to power future clothing which will be populated with electronic functions to form a second skin extending our senses beyond the passive clothing we wear today.

[news.com via textually.org]

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The recently published ‘Keyboard Jeans‘ by designer Erik De Nijs on Yanko Design is adding a new twist to the Interactive Fashion trend which is slowly but steady growing.

Sure, the ‘Keyboard Jeans’ are easily labeled as ‘Geeky’ and ‘Nerdy’ pushing form far beyond function but is this not the case with many Haute Couture designs in the fashion world?

Only when designer go beyond the limits progress in fashion (and anywhere else) will be made. Without people challenging the set limits means no progress in life, technology and fashion.

Haute Couture fashion designer like Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent are experimenting and pushing the fashion limits in every new collection by presenting iconic models that will not make it to the shops but explore new techniques and materials which eventually will become our new fashion trend one day.

Haute Tech Fashion will follow a similar path to make progress and become part of future ‘ready to wear’ collections. The first name of a growing list of Haute Tech fashion designer, Hussein Chalayan is adding to his fashion shows Wearable Electronic inspired models to explore the value technology can add to fashion, emotion, aesthetics and style.

Back to the design concept of the ‘Keyboard Jeans’: having the complete multimedia system integrated in jeans might never be something that people will buy but it is demonstrating how jeans would look when having this type of interactivity.

Taking existing technologies like Fibretronic’s wearable remote control or ElekTex fabric keypad technology, some sensible and practical interactive functions in jeans would be possible for the ready-to-wear market.

Point in case is Levi’s RedWire DLX Jeans first launched in 2006. The ReWire DLX was only available a short time and the integration of the keypad was not the best of what design could do (technically and aesthetically) but it was a first step into exploring the possibility clothing could offer on interactivity with our every shrinking electronic devices.

Our clothing gives plenty of space for convenient, fun and stylish looking interaction with our micro and nano devices.

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A group of students from the Utrecht School of Arts (NL) explored wearable electronic by adding interactivity to shoes.

The result of this projects is the FATS shoe. FATS stands for ‘Fitness Achievement Technology System‘ and not as you might assume for ‘being fat’.

The idea of the FATS shoe concept is: the shoes reward physical performance with a visual attractive design. This will stimulate to practice sports and exercise more for an always renewing design on the shoe.

Each time you do some exercise the color pattern on the shoe will pick up your physical activity and rewards you with a changing color scheme on the shoe.

Case study: each Monday you start with a blank shoe. To get more color in your life and on your sneakers you have to accomplish a certain activity level a day for more color and a healthy lifestyle. If you are able to do more than that, you might even unlock the secret rainbow, nightrider levels at the end of the week.

A motion sensor is integrated into the shoe’s heel together with the electronic to watch over your activity. The color changing effect is achieved by waving yarns with glass-fibers into the outer material of the shoe. These Glass-fiber yarns show the colored light coming from LEDs inside the heel.

A brilliant simple idea from the technical side. Activity monitors like the Nike+ become very popular and they work on a similar principle: each time you go the ‘extra mile’ you get rewarded with a motivational speech from prominent sports personalities.

As the FATS concept is using LED light, the most suitable time of getting the most effect of the color changing feature would be in the evening or at night.

The Students envision that kids could be a perfect target group for FATS shoes. Children shoes with flashing lights are on the market for a long time. The flashing lights are either for fun or for safety purpose. FATS shoes for kids would add even more fun and an additional fashion element to our kids sneakers.

I wonder if one of the ‘big’ sneaker companies would pick up the FATS concept and use it for their next fitness sneaker range.

Here is the list of the FATS project team: Merlinda Prizreni, Ka-min Lung, Jos Herder, Michiel Rotgans, Ana Resende, Melissa Bonvie and Suze Ruyten.

A big thumbs-up to this highly creative Student team which created the FATS sneakers.

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