Ecouterre » Wearable Technology

Color-Changing Glove Alerts Wearer to Presence of Invisible Toxins

Bridgette Meinhold — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:03 +0000

Come in contact with toxic substances while working in a lab and you’ll literally be caught red handed (or blue in this case). New gloves are being developed now at the Fraunhofer Research Institution that will alert wearers that they’ve been exposed to chemicals or other poisons. The gloves are equipped with a custom senor material that when exposed to hazardous substances, turns it blue. This immediate and real-time feedback will help researchers, lab techs and scientists avoid overexposure and encourage safer lab habits.

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Interactive Clothes Hangers Offer Fashion Advice to Japanese Shoppers

Bridgette Meinhold — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:00:11 +0000

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Duke Scientists Create a Working “Invisibility Cloak” Using a 3D Printer

Lori Zimmer — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:00:47 +0000

Researchers at Duke University have used a consumer-grade 3D printer to make something out of a Sci-Fi movie- an invisibility cloak. Yaroslav Urzhumov and his crew of engineers have used the printer to create a device that sort of looks like a giant perforated waffle. The holes and perforations are arranged in an algorithm that, together, deflect microwave beams and make the obscuring cloak- that is easily printed on an at-home 3D printer.

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Prepare for the Google “Glass” Backlash—And Calls to Ban the Technology

Lori Zimmer — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:00:11 +0000

Illustration by Stop the Cyborgs

Now that the Google Glass has hit the mainstream, we’re just waiting for the slew of usage bans that are anticipated to ensue. With texting and cell phones banned everywhere from driving to movie theaters, a device like Google Glass is sure to follow suit- despite the lack of regulation to the brand new device.

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Hot Pop Factory Debuts World’s First 3D-Printed Wooden Jewelry

Bridgette Meinhold — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:00:49 +0000

Extruded plastic baubles not your thing? Rapid-prototype firm Hot Pop Factory just unveiled the world’s first three-dimensionally printed wooden necklaces. Named after the northern forest, the limited-edition “Boreal” collection, uses recycled cherrywood filaments instead of the typical powdered nylon. Mixed with a binding polymer, the material even emanates the “slightest scent of charred wood” during the 42-minute printing process, according to founders Matt Compeau and Bi-Ying Miao, who use a Makerbot Replicator for their fabrications. The resulting curvature and heat-induced striations, much like fingerprints or the rings of a tree, are unique to each individual piece.

ORGANIC TECHNOLOGY

Their texture may be more plywood than hardwood, but the organic nature of the necklaces is no less compelling. “These pieces take advantage of cutting-edge technology while maintaining a subtle and sophisticated aesthetic,” the duo tells Ecouterre.

The sinuous planks boast an uneven “grain” that belies their industrial origin.

Strung up on either gold-filled or sterling silver chains, sinuous planks even boast an uneven “grain” that belies their industrial origin. Hot Pop Factory isn’t kidding about the exclusiveness of each item, either. Once a particular design is sold, it’s gone forever.

+ Boreal Necklace $132-$157

+ Hot Pop Factory

Vibrating “Tactile Helmet” Helmet Helps Firefighters Navigate in the Dark

Bridgette Meinhold — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:00:31 +0000

Photo by Shutterstock

Firefighters and rescue workers have a lot working against them while battling blazes or searching through rubble. It’s hard to see and hear, plus their protective gear, while incredibly important, is desensitizing. A new tactile helmet developed by researchers at the Sheffield Centre for Robotics could give these life savers an extra sense of touch. Like mouse whiskers (or curb feelers), the distance-detecting sensors in the helmet cause pads to vibrate in the helmet, alerting the wearer to nearby surfaces. This early warning system could help them navigate and move faster in dark and smoky places without running into walls.

Photo by Shutterstock

The vibrating helmet was designed to give firefighters and other rescue workers additional sensory information about their surrounding environment. Using a Rosenbauer helmet donated by Northfire Ltd, the team from Sheffield Centre for Robotics outfitted it with new technology that gives the wearer additional tactile information to help navigate. The helmet features a number of ultrasound sensors that detect distances between the helmet and surrounding surfaces. This information is then translated into vibrations created through pads next to the wearer’s head, which help them navigate quicker and safer through unfamiliar environments.

The Sheffield researchers have been also working with the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service team for the last couple of years. Through testing with rescuers, it was found that stimuli to the head was more effective than to the hand and allowed the wearer to respond more quickly to signals. It also left their hands available for other tasks. Next up will be to convert the prototype into a working model that can be manufactured on a larger scale. Researchers also expect that a lighter weight version could be adapted to those with visual disabilities and help them navigate faster in unfamiliar spaces.

+ Press Release
+ Sheffield Centre for Robotics

“Anti-Rape” Undies Fend Off Would-Be Attackers With an Electric Shock

Bridgette Meinhold — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:00:08 +0000

Photo by Shutterstock

In the wake of the horrific gang rape in Delhi last December, Indian women are taking to the streets in protest and even creating products to help prevent rape. Three engineering students have come up with anti-rape lingerie that will literally shock an assailant with electricity if they attack someone who is wearing it. The underthings, named SHE (Society Harnessing Equipment) are also equipped with GPS and the ability to text emergency services and the girl’s parents to alert them of her location and situation. The trio created the electro-shock underwear because they felt helpless that the government wasn’t doing enough to protect women.

Photo by Shutterstock

Currently in Delhi, 96% of women feel unsafe going out into the city at night and fear being raped. This shocking statistic is only the more shocking when you delve into the state of affairs or read more about the very recent gang rape catastrophe. While protests and political activism are helping bring about new laws that prosecute sexual assaulters, many rapes still go unreported.

Feeling helpless even with the new laws, Manisha Mohan, Niladri Basu Bal, and Rimpi Tripathi, engineering students from SRM University in Chennai took matters into their own hands to create SHE, a wearable device that helps stop rape. The underwear is equipped with sensors and an electric shock circuit board, which is integrated into the bosom area. Surveys have shown that most women are first attacked near her chest, so this seems to be the best place to place the the devices. When an attacker comes after the girl, the sensors go off and the assaulter gets a shock of 3,800 kV. Also equipped with GPS and text messaging, the device sends a text to emergency services and the girl’s parents along with location data.

The product is still under development and the two girl and guy team are working on using new textiles and integration so it can all be washable. They would also like to integrate the wearable with a smart phone, Bluetooth and infrared. Jezebel makes an incredible point in that while this anti-rape device is incredible, it also only affects the symptoms of a much larger problem – the victimization of women. Major cultural shifts need to happen, and quickly.

+ Society Harnessing Equipmen on Techpedia

[Via Jezebel]

Google “Glass” Headset to be Made in the United States

Jasmin Malik Chua — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:00:39 +0000

Google will be manufacturing its “Glass” eyewear in Silicon Valley, a move that the Financial Times hails as a “high-profile example of the return of electronics manufacturing to the U.S.” The technology giant will be working with Hon Hai Precision Industry, the Taiwanese firm better known as Foxconn, to assemble the futuristic eyewear at a facility in Santa Clara in California. Tim Bradshaw reports that only a few thousand of the devices will roll off the factory line in the coming weeks, compared with the millions of Apple products Foxconn typically cranks out in China.

PREVIOUSLY ON ECOUTERRE: Google is Recruiting “Glass Explorers” to Test-Drive Its Headset

CALIFORNIA-MADE

“Manufacturing locally will allow Google’s engineers to be closely involved with the production process and provide more opportunities for last-minute fixes and for personal customization,” Bradshaw writes. “Such moves may also blaze a trail for Silicon Valley’s resurgent community of hardware start-ups, which remain largely reliant on cheaper offshore manufacturing.”

Google announced on Wednesday that it has selected the 8,000 people who will be allowed to buy a test version of Glass.

Google announced on Wednesday that it has selected the 8,000 people who will be allowed to preorder a test version of Glass for $1,500 apiece. The company began notifying the winners on Tuesday.

[Via the Financial Times]

Are We Headed for a Smartwatch War?

Lori Zimmer — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:00:50 +0000

You thought the smartphone wars were bad? Just wait till the battle heats up over the smartwatch. As Samsung goes public with its plans for a wristwatch-style computer, and rumors of an Apple “iWatch” hits fever pitch, the giants of the tech world have just begun to fight. Not that companies aren’t already competing for real estate on your arm, of course. Sony released an Android-powered model last April. The Pebble watch, which raised a record-smashing $10 million on Kickstarter, began shipping in January. And let’s not even mention the plethora of fitness bracelets—Fitbit, Jawbone Up, Nike Fuelband—that are vying for a slice of an increasingly saturated market.

“Google Time” concept by Adrian Maciburko

SMARTPHONE WARS

And although Google is preparing to roll out its highly anticipated “Glass” headset, don’t count the erstwhile search engine out of the running just yet. According to a patent filed in October, Google may be plotting a smartwatch with a Wi-Fi chip, a “tactile user interface,” and a “flip-up portion.”

Whether smart watches will be as indispensable as their handheld brethren still remains to be seen.

Another patent application, filed by Apple in April 2011, offers hints of a “wearable video device” modeled after the slap bracelet of the ’80s. The filing proposes a flexible “bi-stable spring substrate” with a wraparound touchscreen for pulling up visual information, such as the order of a current playlist or a tally of recent phone calls.

One company that isn’t playing coy about its pipeline is Samsung. “We’ve been preparing the watch product for so long,” Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, told Bloomberg News earlier in the month. “We are working very hard to get ready for it. We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is definitely one of them.”

Whether smartwatches will be as indispensable as their handheld brethren still remains to be seen. (Do we really need another way to receive Facebook notifications?) As for which one will come out on top, only time will tell.

Bicycle “Helmet of Justice” Records Video Evidence In Case of Hit and Run

Bridgette Meinhold — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:00:12 +0000

The aptly named Helmet of Justice is a video camera-equipped brain bucket that can record evidence onto a USB drive in case of a crash. Developed by software developers from Chaotic Moon, the ‘black box’ bicycle helmet was designed to help cyclists figure out what happened if they got hit by a car and prove fault if need be. The Austin firm developed the 360 degree video helmet after one of their own employees fell victim to a hit and run while riding his bike. Drivers beware – the Helmet of Justice is on the case!

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Norwegian Scientists Develop “Smart” Clothes for Arctic Workers

Bridgette Meinhold — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:00:04 +0000

Photo by Shutterstock

Not everyone pulls a nine-to-fiver within the confines of an office cubicle. “Roughnecks,” for instance, regularly brave below-freezing temperatures in the Arctic in pursuit of oil and natural gas. To help these workers cope with their hostile environment, Norwegian scientists are developing a line of “smart” clothing that can help supervisors determine when their charges should stop working and head back inside. Instead of relying on temperature and wind measurements to gauge safety conditions, the “ColdWear” jacket features built-in sensors that monitor the physiological health of its wearer in real time.

SAFETY FIRST

SINTEF’s prototype comprises temperature and humidity sensors, an activity sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a digital compass. “This enables us to monitor a worker’s body position and movement in great detail and we can easily see whether the person is stationary or active, as well as measuring temperature, humidity, and perspiration,” says Tine M. Seeberg, a senior research scientist.

The jacket can also gauge the strain experienced by workers using large drills and other machinery.

The jacket can also measure phenomena such as vibrations, which could be valuable for gauging the strain experienced by workers using large drills and other machinery. Because the garment communicates with its surroundings via Bluetooth, it requires very little energy. Another advantage? “The data can, for example, be sent to a smartphone or PC, and thence through a mobile network to a control room,” Seeberg adds.

Such measurements provide objective benchmarks for workers who may be willing to sacrifice comfort and safety to get a job done. In subzero conditions, fingers that become cold can lose their dexterity and result in incorrectly fitted screws and other potentially dangerous scenarios.

“In my experience, many workers push themselves beyond stipulated limits without feeling discomfort,” says Øystein Wiggen, a physiologist and research scientist at SINTEF Health Research. “We may well have to use a sort of traffic-light system in such situations, in which green means ‘OK,’ yellow means ‘take care,’ and red indicates that there is danger afoot.”

SINTEF has plans to give its research other applications, such as specialty gear for athletes or outerwear for personnel in extreme environments.

+ ColdWear
+ SINTEF

[Via ScienceDaily]

Google, Adidas Create “Talking” Sneaker That Nags You Into Exercising

Bridgette Meinhold — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:00:42 +0000

Forget Google Glass; the tech giant is in the footwear business now. Or at least it was at the SXSW series of film, interactive, and music festivals in Austin on Monday. Together with Adidas, the technology giant unveiled its concept “Talking Shoe,” a smart sneaker designed to get people off the couch and exercising. But Google didn’t just see fit to give the shoe the usual moving parts (an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a pressure sensor, Bluetooth connectivity). The sneaker also boasts a personality, one that is alternatively cheering and jeering depending on your level of activity.

PERSONAL TRAINERS

With the manner of a snarky personal trainer or drill sergeant, the Talking Shoe has an arsenal of 250 quippy phrases it can dish out from the embedded speaker on its tongue. Stay stationary too long, for instance, it will say things like, “This is super-boring” or “Quick, someone check my pulse.” It might even start offering suggestions, such as a run or a game of basketball. Start getting physical, however, and the shoe will change its tune, noting “That’s more like it” or “I love the feel of the wind in my laces.”

The Talking Shoe has an arsenal of 250 quippy phrases it can dish out like a snarky personal trainer or drill sergeant.

Raise your heart rate even further and the shoe will respond with even more praise-filled exclamations: “Call 911, you’re on fire,” “You have made me a very proud shoe,” or “Wait till I tell my friends about this.” For an extra layer of motivation, you can also publish your activity on your various social networks.

Don’t expect Google to roll out the sneaker any time soon, though. The company commissioned artist-hacker Zach Lieberman and interactive collective YesYesNo to create the shoe as part of its “Art Copy & Code” series of experiments in online branding. More specifically, it wanted to showcase the potential of using connected objects to tell stories on the Internet today.

“By bringing the personalization and intelligence of the Web to everyday things, we can make them more useful and entertaining,” the designers say. “These connected and smart objects are sharing relevant information with us, turning chores into games and making us healthier.”

Not to mention thicker-skinned.

+ The Talking Shoe

“Snowballs” Cooling Undies Claim to Maximize Male Fertility

Helen Morgan — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:00:47 +0000

Snowballs are a quirky name for a great concept – underwear to help men with infertility issues. After experimenting with different techniques to help him and his wife conceive, designer Joshua Shoemake found that using ice in the nether regions helped to bring down high temperatures and improve fertility. After ‘icing’ for a year, Shoemake became a father himself, and soon afterwards developed the idea of organic cotton underwear with re-freezable SnowWedges incorporated in the design, perfect for cooling.

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Are At-Home 3D-Clothing Printers the Future of Fashion?

Jasmin Malik Chua — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:00:38 +0000

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“Hello World” DIY Kit Teaches Preteen Girls About Wearable Technology

Bridgette Meinhold — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:00:02 +0000

When Frog Design ran an internal competition for new wearable-technology concepts in 2012, its Seattle office submitted a do-it-yourself kit designed to give preteen girls the tools to create their own “smart” accessories. Geared toward the influential—and pivotal—tween demographic, the “Hello World” box featured accessible Arduino-based projects that require zero programming skills to complete. And, thanks to its modular design, the kit also allowed plenty of scope for creativity and personal expression. Frog Design needs to bring this to market soon, not just because it’s likely to spark a love of computing in a new generation of girls, but also, more selfishly, because we want one for ourselves.

+ Frog Design

Which 3D-Printed Dress Would You Rather Wear?

Jasmin Malik Chua — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 23:00:14 +0000

Both Iris van Herpen and the tag team of Francis Bitonti and Michael Schmidt claimed to have created the world’s first three-dimensionally printed dress. Let’s settle this the classy way, mano a mano. Who did it better?

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Dita Von Teese Models World’s First Fully Articulated 3D-Printed Gown

Jasmin Malik Chua — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:00:28 +0000

Photos by Albert Sanchez

Dita Von Teese did more than show off her curves at Manhattan’s Ace Hotel Monday night. The burlesque star and fashion icon also modeled what designers Michael Schmidt and Francis Bitonti claim is the world’s first fully articulated three-dimensionally printed gown. (Iris van Herpen might beg to differ, but we digress.) Created in conjunction with rapid-prototyping marketplace Shapeways, the Fibonacci-inspired mesh number consists of thousands of nylon chain links, dyed black, lacquered, and embellished with more than 13,000 Swarovski crystals to achieve its “sensual flowing form.”

PREVIOUSLY ON ECOUTERRE: Iris van Herpen Debuts World’s First 3D-Printed Flexible Dresses

PRINTER DRESS

Bitoni compared the dress’s construction with that of a Chinese finger trap. “It’s that continuous variation—managing the complexity of the subtle adjustments in form to respond to curvature of the body, how things tighten or narrow, where we need more flexibility or less flexibility of the mesh, all that was able to be tuned to a really high level,” he told Wired on Tuesday.

Bitoni compared the dress’s construction with that of a Chinese finger trap.

Aptly enough, the entire process was communicated digitally. Bitonti used Maya, a high-end software tool used by architects and animators, to create a 3D model of the dress based on Von Teese’s measurements and Schmidt’s original sketch. Using Rhino, another modeling program, he detailed 2,633 individual links across the surface of the gown. Finally, Bitoni laser-sintered the entire piece into 17 parts, which he then manually assembled.

“This would have been incredibly expensive, if not impossible, to do by hand,” he said. “The level of craftsmanship it would require is being assumed by the machine.”

The fashion industry, one of the few remaining that still requires significant hands-on manufacturing, might be due for a shakeup, according to Shapeways “designer evangelist” Duann Scott, particularly once printer manufacturers start offering more garment-friendly materials.

“Traditionally, all garments are either a weave or a stitch,” Scott said. “And with 3D printing, we can introduce something completely different. So we can grow designs rather than just using something that’s centuries-old technology. It’s a whole way to move forward in fashion and clothing and textiles.”

[Via Wired]

“AirWaves” Face Mask Filters Pollution, Crowdsources Air-Quality Data

Bridgette Meinhold — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:00:29 +0000

We’ve all seen the recent reports of the off-the-charts air pollution in China. The horrific air quality has prompted many Chinese to wear air pollution masks at all times and there are even mobile apps to alert people to the harsh air quality. As part on an international in-house competition, the Shanghai office of Frog Design set about to combine the two concepts into a smart device – the AirWaves mask, a pollution air mask that monitors the air quality in real time and shares the data to so everyone could see it. The combo mask and mobile app could alert people to hazardous conditions while improving monitoring for the country overall.

Eight of Frog Design’s international offices all worked to dream up the future of wearable technology. What with the hazardous air pollution levels in recent months in China, the Shanghai office set to create a device that could help people and improve date monitoring. The AirWaves mask is a contemporary-styled pollution mask with the addition of particle sensors. Not only does the advanced mask filter our more pollution, but it also keeps track of the air-quality levels in real time.

Connected with the wearer’s mobile device, the mask shares the data with the entire network. Users can access maps for their neighborhood and city to check levels for places they want or need to be. Having this information can help residents avoid particularly hazardous areas. The data can also be used to track and improve air quality over time on a local and macro level. Wearers can even monitor the air quality in their home by using the mask. The Shanghai office thinks that this system will also help improve trust of the Chinese in the data of the air quality through the collection of data from actual individuals rather than some “faceless” data source.

This device does not yet exist, but given the state of the air quality in China, it’s probably not too far away from being a real product.

+ Frog Design

Barbie Gets High-Tech Makeover With Interactive LED Dress, Stylus

Lori Zimmer — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:00:24 +0000

Never let it be said that Barbie doesn’t have an eye for emerging trends. After forays into everything from aeronautics to zookeeping, America’s favorite plastic dilettante is poised to tackle the Next Big Thing: smart clothing. Unveiled at the 2013 Toy Fair in New York City, the upcoming “Digital Dress” doll features an interactive touchscreen frock that lets just about anyone “draw” their own animated designs, no programming experience necessary.

PREVIOUSLY ON ECOUTERRE: Artist Dismembers Barbie, Turns Body Parts Into Disturbing Jewelry

DIGITAL DOLL

Each dress comprises a 4.5-inch resistive touch panel, as well as 114 multicolored LEDS that can be turned on and off with a finger or the included stylus. A triple-heart necklace serves to activate one of three modes. Kids can choose from preloaded graphics like hearts and fireworks, manipulate their own custom patterns, or watch designs dance in response to sound or music.

Each dress comprises a 4.5-inch resistive touch panel, as well as 114 multicolored LEDS.

As gimmicky as it sounds, the open-ended play is definitely a plus. It might even pique some girls’ interest in STEM. Recommended for ages 6 and up, the doll is expected to go on sale in August for $49.99.

+ Barbie Digital Dress Doll $49.99
+ Mattel

[Via Gizmag]

Nike Debuts First Football Cleat Built Using 3D-Printing Technology

Jasmin Malik Chua — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:00:14 +0000

Nike made history on Sunday when it debuted the first-ever football cleat built using rapid-prototyping technology. Weighing no more than 5.6 ounces, the “Vapor Laser Talon” boasts a contoured three-dimensionally printed plate designed to provide optimal traction, as well as help football athletes maintain their “drive stance” longer and more effectively, according to the sportswear giant.

QUICK STEP

Nike engineers crafted the plate of the cleat using Selective Laser Sintering, a manufacturing technique that uses high-powered lasers to fuse small particles of materials into a three-dimensional shape. The process, says the company, allowed it to develop a fully functional plate and traction system not only within a fraction of the traditional timeframe but also at a fraction of the weight.

With 3D-printing, Nike was able to make design updates in a matter of hours rather than months.

Because SLS extends the limitations of conventional manufacturing, allowing for the creation of shapes not previously possible, Nike was able to make design updates in a matter of hours rather than months. “SLS technology has revolutionized the way we design cleat plates—even beyond football—and gives Nike the ability to create solutions that were not possible within the constraints of traditional manufacturing processes,” Shane Kohatsu, director of Nike Footwear Innovation, says in a statement.

+ Vapor Laser Talon
+ Nike

Bracelet-Like Device Could Alleviate Chronic Acid Reflux, Says Study

Bridgette Meinhold — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:00:18 +0000

Up until last year, treatment for chronic acid reflux involved acid-suppressing drugs, but a new device fitted around a patient’s esophagus is showing promising results to provide relief. A recent study through the Mayo Clinic shows that nearly all patients outfitted with the esophagus ring had lesser symptoms and many were able to stop taking their medicines. The device is made up of tiny magnetic titanium beads and works as replacement valve to stop acid leaking from the stomach up to the esophagus.

According to the American Gastroenterological Association, around 1 in 3 people in the United States have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or chronic acid reflux. The most common treatment is to diagnose acid-supporessing drugs and for more serious cases, surgery may be necessary to try and fix a patient’s esophageal valve, which allows the acid to move out of the stomach and into the esophagus. Too much acid can damage the esophagus and lead to pre-cancerous conditions.

The latest treatment is to surgically install a ring-like device around the esophagus at the connection to the stomach to close the valve and prevent acid from leaking. The device is made up of tiny magnetic titanium beads, which have a small magnetic force. The force is strong enough for the beads to stay together, thus closing off the valve, but weak enough that when food or liquid moves down the esophagus, the beads will spread allowing matter to pass down and through into the stomach.

In 2012, the FDA approved use of the device and procedures began to take place. The Mayo Clinic has recently completed a study on the effectiveness of the device. Results showed that 92 percent experienced lesser symptoms and 87 percent were able to stop taking their medication. The surgery to install the device is minimally invasive and takes just a couple of hours.

+ Press Release
+ Mayo Clinic

High-Tech Bodysuit Could Give Visually Impaired “Spidey Sense”

Jasmin Malik Chua — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:00:51 +0000

It doesn’t shoot web fluid from its wrists, but Victor Mateevitsi’s high-tech bodysuit could be the closest thing you’ll get to experiencing real-life “Spidey sense.” Inspired by the Spider-Man—and the tingly sensation the comic superhero feels when danger is close—”SpiderSense” could allow the visually impaired to sense and avoid obstacles in their vicinity. Doctor Octopus himself would approve of its construction. The suit features small robotic arms encased in microphone-equipped modules that send and receive ultrasonic reflections from adjacent objects. When the ultrasound detects someone (or something) moving closer, the arms respond by placing pressure on the part of the body closest to the “threat.” “When someone is punching Spider-Man, he feels the sensation and can avoid it,” Mateevitsi, a computer-science graduate student at the University of Illinois in Chicago, told New Scientist on Friday. “Our suit is the same concept.”

FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-SUIT

Mateevitsi tested the suit by blindfolding volunteers, making them stand outside, and asking them to “feel” for potential attackers. For fun, he gave each wearer ninja cardboard throwing stars to use whenever they sensed a person approach. “Ninety five percent of the time they were able to sense someone approaching and throw the star at them,” Mateevitsi said.

The suit, or even just a few sensors on the arms and back, could help cyclists increase their awareness of traffic.

But the blind aren’t the only ones who could benefit from the suit. Mateevitsi wants to use the suit, or even just a few sensors on the arms and back, to help cyclists increase their awareness of traffic on the road. His team plans to present SpiderSense at the Augmented Human conference in Stuttgart, Germany, in March, as well as add more sensors to increase the suit’s resolution.

“We humans have the senses that we are born with and we can’t extend them, but there are some threats which are very deadly, but we can’t sense them, like radiation,” Mateevisti explained. “Electronic sensors can feel those threats.”

+ Victor Mateevitsi

[Via New Scientist]

Google Reportedly Working With Warby Parker to Make “Glass” Stylish

Jasmin Malik Chua — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 23:00:24 +0000

Google is reportedly working with Warby Parker, a popular eyeglass company that sells its trendy wares online, to design “more-fashionable frames” for its “Glass” headset, according to anonymous sources who spoke with the New York Times on Thursday. Founded a mite two years ago, Warby Parker made its mark not only by selling its spectacles—prescription lenses and shipping included—for a then-unheard of $95, but also for its TOMS-like “one for one” business model. (To wit, for every pair of frames purchased, Warby Parker donates another to someone in need.) Google is obviously gunning to make Glass a status accessory. The device made its New York Fashion Week debut in September when models wore colored versions at Diane von Furstenberg’s runway show.

PREVIOUSLY ON ECOUTERRE: Google is Recruiting “Glass Explorers” to Test-Drive Its Headset

+ Google Glass
+ Warby Parker

Google is Recruiting “Glass Explorers” to Test-Drive Its Headset

Jasmin Malik Chua — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:00:21 +0000

OKAY, GLASS

Only 8,000 “bold, creative” individuals will make the first cut, according to Google. How bold and how creative, exactly? The video shows the Glass interface from the points of view of sky-divers, pilots, trapeze artists, ice sculptors, roller-coaster riders, and snake wranglers who command the device to take photos, record home movies, video-chat, display directions and, of course, conduct Google searches by prefacing their requests with “Okay, Glass.”

Diane von Furstenberg demoed the eyeglasses in September by filming her New York Fashion Week show.

Legendary designer Diane von Furstenberg demoed the eyeglasses in September by filming her Spring/Summer 2013 show at New York Fashion Week through the eyes of the people who made it happen, models, stylists, and Furstenberg herself included. Von Furstenberg even had Google founder Sergey Brin join her and her then-creative director, Yvan Mispelaere, on the runway for her victory lap, each sporting a pair of the futuristic frames with a different colored accent.

Better hop to it if you’re keen to make the shortlist—and have two grand’s worth of couch money to spare. The deadline for applications is February 28.

+ Google Glass

Golden Tresses? You Can Now Dye Your Hair With Actual Gold

Alyssa Alimurung — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:00:35 +0000

Photo by Shutterstock

Looking to dye your lovely locks, but without the toxic chemicals? Well, you’re in luck because you could be dying your hair with gold someday. Though a couple of scientists in New Zealand were able to successfully dye lamb’s wool with gold, Dr. Philippe Walter at Université Pierre et Marie Curie-CNRS and his colleagues were interested in trying out gold nanotechnology to dye hair. It’s known that the Romans and Greeks used to dye their hair with lead, so Dr. Walter figured gold would have similar effects. They carried out the test on a couple of white hairs by soaking them in gold particles. After a day, the hairs turned yellow then a little over two weeks later, the hairs were permanently a dark brown — even after several washes.

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