I was looking for wearable technology on google and then I found this contest promoted by intel. Unfortunately, they are already in the final phase, but you guys can take a look for inspiration to the final projects.

https://makeit.intel.com

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/324375300/vest-a-sensory-substitution-neuroscience-project?ref=category

Dr. David Eagleman and Scott Novich from Baylor College of Medicine are working on developing a vest designed to convert sounds into vibrations that can be felt by the person wearing the vest. The vest will help deaf people process sounds in a similar way that a cochlear implant would, but in a way that will be thousands of dollars cheaper.

This particular project interested me because my sister is studying to be a sign language interpreter. The success of this project could potentially make her career path obsolete in the future, which she’ll be excited to hear!

Even though it could eliminate the need for interpreters, I think the vest is a great exploration of the versatility of human senses and could really benefit those who are blind, deaf, etc.

This article is about a ring that can be used to control some devices like smartphones, smarttvs, and other devices which uses internet. With this ring it’s possible to slide pictures, select videos and even play games only by moving the hand or some fingers. It is waterproof and uses bluetooth to connect with other devices. It is pretty interesting because you can control your devices without having a real controller.

http://mashable.com/2014/04/29/nod-bluetooth-ring/

Some sharp people want to make our clothing to, well, do more.

Amy Winters, the designer of the Rainbow Winters clothing line, makes garments that respond to their environment.

For example, the dress is made with holographic leather and reacts to sound. As volume increases, it begins to illuminate and make what Winters describes as “visual music.” The bathing suit reacts to light, with the center panel turning into purple dots in the sun

http://www.cnbc.com/id/100853138/page/4

http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/18/agencyglass-smartglass-emotional-cybernetics/

I got a good laugh out of this piece. A researcher from Tsukuba University developed a bizarre wearable device called AgencyGlass, which are smartglasses with OLED displays on the front that show a pair of animated eyes. The eyes move and blink as you move your head, automatically gaze at people around you, and they even stay open while you take a nap. The main purpose of the device is to free you of the “emotional effort” of communicating with your eyes, such as the need to maintain the ever-stressful eye contact. This is supposed to help autistic individuals communicate more naturally in social situations, but the contraption looks so creepy that it’s more likely to get them even more ostracized.

http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news/2014/09/ralph-lauren-introduces-next-evolution-wearable-technology

The piece above describes the Polo-Tech shirt being introduced by Ralph Lauren in the upcoming US Open. The shirts contain a variety of sensors embedded into the fabric that will measure a variety of biometrics. This information will allow players (and ball boys) to make on the fly adjustments to their game in response to their physiology.

The article is particularly interesting this is the first instance of fashion brand incorporating smart technology into their clothing. So far we have seen many technology companies, both startup and established, produce a variety for athletic wearables. Now it appears that companies previously only associated with clothing will also be entering the wearables market. With this precedent set, it will be interesting to see what other companies embrace digital technology in their garments, appliances, etc.

There aren’t any textiles involved in this innovation but I thought it was too cool to not post. It was posted back in 2011 so maybe I’m just out of the loop, but MSR researchers developed “OmniTouch” a projected touchscreen system that allows you to project and interact on almost any surface, eliminating the need for a static computer screen. The article comes with a video demo of the projector –

http://www.xconomy.com/seattle/2011/10/17/video-microsoft-research-cmu-take-covers-off-omnitouch-touchscreen-projector/