Sensoree explores therapeutic bio media and body architecture

[gallery]Sensoree is an art and technology design lab focused on body architecture and therapeutic bio.media created by experience designer Kristin Neidlinger and team. Through her work, she explores nervous systems that inspire body awareness, insight, and spontaneity. Her latest "artifacts" investigate proximity, intimacy, telepathy, intuition, and humor between human and machine. Here are a few of them:

GER: mood sweater The GER: Galvanic Extimacy Responder, mood sweater is an emotive display that is an externalized intimacy.

InflataCorset is a heart rate sensor-initiated inflatable corset. When the heartbeat reaches an excited, panic state, a wireless heart rate sensor triggers the air pump. Then, the corset inflates. The external pressure of the vest on the skin calms the nervous system and returns the heart back to a resting rate

FURVER fo.corset is an interactive hard shell corset with “emotionally volatile” fur that reacts to the proximity of those too near. Inspired by sea anemones, animated tentacles rise and bio-luminescent color intensifies to warn predators of personal space dimensions being invaded as well as protect the wearer.

Continue reading on Sensoree. Images from Sensoree.

Rights Through Making explores Wear Culture

[gallery]Students at Rights Through Making in partnership with Eindoven University of Technology's ID department are exploring on-body interactions and wear culture that promotes community and celebrates scientific advancement and its benefit. In their project InTouch, they are exploring ways to serendipitously connect people in crowded places turning "annoying moments" into shared moment between two strangers. The InTouch jacket includes a built in customizable ringtone and a touch-sensitive surface. When in a crowded location such as the subway, two jackets that accidentally brush up against each other will make a noise, bringing two strangers together.

Other projects explore the reinterpretation of ethnic garments that have a seductive twist, a suit that collects your traces and expresses your history, a series of sport and gaming garments, and more.

InTouch Designers, Fabio Novelli, Claudio Manetti, Joris Zaalberg, Saskia Bakker InTouch Supervisers, Ambra Trotto Kees Overbeeke, Caroline Hummels

Bracelet helps patients rehabilitate

[gallery]Health and body monitoring is a hot topic these days, which is what designer Petr Fiala is exploring with his Rehabilitation Bracelet. The bracelet monitors patient health and keeps doctors continuously informed. I would love to see the product in action and I'm curious what the software experience is. Nonetheless, this is an intriguing start.

"Designed for PRINCIP to aid disabled people, the bracelet comes built in with a USB connector and memory card to update the progress or condition of the patient. The device, as indicated by its name, can be worn around the wrist like a bracelet, which other than keeping check on the practice honesty of the user also becomes a fashionable accessory for the trendy." Continue on Design Buzz.

Images from Design Buzz.

Lulin Ding dreams up digital makeup

[gallery]Industrial designer Lulin Ding is investigating digital makeup with a recent project that turns your eyeshadow into a glowing, illuminated splash of color. "I was interested in the way women wear eyeshadow and how most of the time you can only see the details when their eyes are closed. I sought to translate the attributes of eyeshadow into a digital medium. I made the initial decision to use the light to paint the eyelids when you blink and close your eye.” Continue reading on ecouterre.

Images and source from ecouterre.

Gesture controlled fitness experience for runners

[gallery]Designer Adrien Guenette has envisioned a wearable experience aimed to help runners control their music through simple gestures during their run. "Technology is at its best when it feels completely natural." Guenette says. The concept includes a fitness watch called the "beat watch" that pairs your music with your performance stats to help motivate you to perform better. Additional accessories that wirelessly communicate to the watch detects stride, heart rate and gestures that allow you to control the music. I'm not a huge fan of having too many accessories during my work out, but the idea of controlling the experience hands-free through simple gestures is very appealing.

More at beatnow. Images from Beatnow.

Electric Skin gives a breath of light

New media installation artist and faculty member of Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Suzi Webster, has been exploring and critiquing the ways in which technologies impact and shape our experiences. She has created a number of interesting wearable technologies including Electric Skin, which turns the breath of the wearer into pulses of light...something that would be great here in Seattle as we all wait in anticipation for the sun to finally sneak out from behind our 10-month cloud cover.

"The inhalation and exhalation of the wearer activates a breath sensor that dims and brightens the printed LED of the garment. The wearer is engaged in an altered state of perception, bathed in the electric aqua light."

Continue reading at Emily Carr. Images from Emily Carr.