Wearable device helps chronic back pain

[gallery] Industrial Design student Justine Smith has looked to new technology for a solution to one of the most common ailments in the world today – chronic back pain. The result is Spinovo (spine + new) – a concept smart clothing product that uses modular packs to treat pain through heating, cooling, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapies, as well as incorporating bend sensors to ensure the wearer maintains the correct posture. Continue reading on Gizmag.

It's an interesting concept, however I would love to see it designed more elegantly and less medical. Can it look more soft and cozy and invite me to wear it as it eases my back pain?

Images from Gizmag

Funding a computational dress project

Kickstarter, a crowdfunding service, has been opening up doors for designers and artists to help fund their projects. One of the latest projects includes Mary Huang's computational couture called Continuum, which has already attracted 70 backers. Continuum is a user-generated fashion collection that is the "application of interactive technologies for bespoke design. In short, an app lets you draw a dress, turns it into a 3D model, and exports a cutting pattern to make the real dress, sized to your measurements." The result gives it a gorgeous, geometric aesthetic.

Go to Kickstarter and help her fund her project!

Continue reading on Kickstarter. Image source.

An incredible wearable technology resource list

Digital media designer-artist, theorist and curator Valérie Lamontagne has an incredible wearable technology resources page that lists the who's who and who's upcoming in the wearable technology and eTextile field. She has even grouped designers and organizations into very interesting categories such as "Context as Prerequisite", "The Garment as Amplifier of Fantasy", and "Material Witness". For anyone interested in this field, this is definitely one for delicious. Thank you Valérie!

Visit her resource page.

CuteCircuit's wearable line-up

[gallery] London-based CuteCircuit has been leading the wearable technology field from the getgo. They have found success in many of their projects and research initiatives over the years including the hug shirt and Katy Perry light-up couture, to name a few. They are also one of the few wearable tech companies who are bringing their ideas to market! Here are some exciting new products that are now available to purchase:

Twirkle shirt and leggings The more you move the more it glows and sparkles and twinkles. It runs on basic coin cell batteries (included), and reacts to your movement. Everything about this shirt and leggings is magical and wonderful. A powder-keg of scintillating pixie-dust. Cost: £55.00-£125.00

Armour dress Digitally printed armour pattern on 100% silk jersey knit with hand-embroidered crystals. Comes in two colours, purple and green, which are both perfect for you. The Armour dress is designed to create a gorgeous body shape and it features soft heat bonded details. Cost: £125.00

Star scarf Digitally printed Star design on 100% silk twill. A wonderfully soft silk scarf completely hand hemmed. The star pattern comes in many delicious colors. Cost: £65.00

And coming soon...

The hug shirt The Hug Shirt™ is a shirt that makes people send hugs over distance! Sending hugs is as easy as sending an SMS and you will be able to send hugs while you are on the move, in the same way and to the same places you are able to make phone calls (Rome to Tokyo, New York to Paris).

The M-dress The M-Dress is an elegant silk jersey dress that is also a functional soft electronics mobile phone. The M-Dress accepts a standard SIM card and allows the wearer to receive and make calls without carrying a cellular phone in their pocket or purse. Simplicity is elegance.

For more info, visit CuteCircuit. Image source.

Electronics that can bend

Cambridge, Massachusetts advanced materials company, MC10, is cookin' up some amazing bendable high-performance electronics that us wearable technology folks would LOVE to get our dirty little hands on. Imagine a shirt that could monitor your heart rate without wires or clunky devices. Or garments that are flexible and move with your body as they collect your biometric data and help you live a healthier life. MC10 seems to be paving the way and rumor from the Twittersphere is that adidas is currently working with them on ... does anyone know? The future is promising.

Image source.

Controlling your devices with your mind

[gallery] Emotiv has created a wearable headset designed by 4design Pty Ltd called emotiv EPOC that allows you to control your gaming experience through your thoughts. It takes signals directly from the wearer's brain to interface wirelessly with games and computers in totally new ways. It even understands facial expressions and moods. I'm not sure if this is an incredibly exciting innovation or something to be somewhat frightened about. The headset design is somewhat intimidating looking, but I would still like to get my hands on it to give it a test run.

More info. Image source.