Capturing your point of view, invisibly

I wrote about these back in July when wearable tech company, ZionEyez, was raising funds through Kickstarter, which earned them almost $350,000 for their first production run. Since then, they've been working hard at producing their first video camera eyewear that looks...well...like any other spectacles you would see on the street. An evolution of the Steve Mann aesthetics, nobody would ever know that you're glasses are recording every moment. This invisible, ambient nature of the technology integration is exactly where wearable technology is heading...and I can't wait to see what's coming in 2012.

Engadget says: Sure, you may already lead an exciting life, but wouldn't it be great if you could broadcast those daily escapades -- you know, to all of your internet friends? ZionEyez hopes to deliver a method for sharing your point of view -- quite literally -- in realtime, across the web. The company's first product, a set of 720p embedded-camera eyeglasses called Eyez, houses a tiny camera to the left of the standard-size eyeglass lens, with a processor, Bluetooth and WiFi module embedded in the adjacent ear piece.

Images from Engadget

Stretchable electric cable acts like skin

Japanese chemical company Asahi Kasei, has created a flexible electronic cable called Roboden that stretches by a factor of 1.5, much like the human skin. Many electronic yarns and threads change resistance when pulled or stretched, which can reduce the power in a circuit unwillingly or by design. This is the basis of woven and knitted stretch sensors that are currently being explored.

But rather than changing resistence when stretched, the Roboden can be stretched up to a factor of 1.5 without changing resistance. They mention applications in the robotics field, but this could be very useful in wearable technology solutions where there is a need to integrate circuitry throughout the garment that can carry the same power and current when stretched.

Right now, the cable looks rather bulky to be used practically in wearables. I would love to see a smaller next version. Keep up the great work Asahi Kasei!

Glasses provide sound and scent

Researchers from Keio University in Tokyo have created glasses designed to not only augment the wearer's sight, but also sound AND smell. The glasses are aimed to enhance our social experience by emitting sound and smell signals that are unique to a person that you meet. In the words of its makers, "it is an attempt to encourage face-to-face communication with emotional and memorable sound and smell experiences."

How they work The glasses communicate with your smartphone via Bluetooth. Once the infrared sensors on the glasses detect somebody else wearing a pair of Sound Perfume goggles nearby, a message containing your name, contact number and your unique sound and smell signatures is sent to that person. In response, the recipient's phone communicates with his or her glasses, which in turn emit your signature sound and odor.

The system can also be paired with a mobile phone's camera to save not only the location and time an image was taken, but also the sound and smell information of the person in the photo. So when viewing the photo later or walking past the location, the sound and smell of the person you shared the experience with is triggered. What is the point of all that? The additional stimulation is to assist in building a fond multi-sensory memory of your encounter.

Continue reading on Gizmag

Wearable bio-metric accessories for health

There are a number of bio-metric accessories for health that are hitting the market these days. The accessories read and collect a variety of different types of bio-metric data (such as your heart rate, movement, and body heat), connect to your smartphone, and visualize the data through an application that helps you make sense of the data and keeps you on track toward better health. Spawned by successful products such as Nike+, cheaper components, and the Quantified Self movement, here are a just a couple that are making the rounds...  

Zeo Sleep Manager

Zeo Sleep Manager is a wearable accessory and smartphone app that tracks and improves the quality of your sleep. The headband tracks your actual sleep stages through the night and how much restorative REM and Deep sleep you actually get. It then sends them wirelessly to the bedside display and your phone where it shows you how you slept, including how much time you spent in REM and Deep sleep, which are critical for mental clarity, physical well-being and peak performance. Zeo also gives you an overall sleep score you can track over time.

An interesting idea, however, I have just one question for you Zeo...is there really no other solution than to make me strap hardware to my forehead while I sleep? From a wearability perspective, this could be very uncomfortable for those who might toss and turn and simply unsexy.

Jawbone Up

Jawbone Up is flexible smart wristband and smartphone app that work together to help you live healthier. However, it's plagued with a nightmare's worth of hardware and battery problems for their v1 product. (A friend of mine is on his 4th band within just 1 month. Yikes!) But once they iron out the kinks, this accessory and experience has potential to be a great addition to a health-oriented lifestyle.  

LUMOback

LUMOback is an exciting new product that is getting ready to hit the market in 2012. The experience includes a thin, flexible and wireless sensor adhesives that you put on your skin. These LUMOback sensors monitor and measure your posture in real-time. When you are slouching, it sends you small gentle vibrations to your lower back reminding you to sit up nice and straight on your iPhone.

Overall, we're seeing more sensor accessories + mobile app-based experiences focused on health and lifestyle. It will be interesting to see how they do on the market and how long they will last.

Lucy brings wearable tech to market

I am loving this new running jacket made by Lucy equipped with a safety light that's integrated into the mid-back. The concept is all about visibility during your workout. Perfect for the darker fall and winter months, the Night Light Jacket has 360-degree reflectivity with three-inch light-up LED piping along the back and reflective zipper tape in the front. You can also zip-off the sleeves to turn the jacket into a running vest if it's too warm. It's one of the many wearable tech garments that have been hitting the market recently. The concept and technology is simple and basic, but it's a good introduction to a wider market audiences that is stylish and also affordable. So, I decided to take it for a test run... In general, the garment was nicely fitted and comfortable to wear during my run. The fabric was breathable and helped block the cold Seattle air. The technology was subtle enough that it wasn't bulky, uncomfortable, and it was discrete enough that it didn't draw too much public attention. It felt like a useful addition that added some safety and visibility during a dusk run. Even so, there were a few problems in the experience and interaction that could be improved.

Accessing the switch on the garment was not optimal. Because it's located on the back, I found it awkward to reach behind me to push the button. This could be improved by moving the push button into one of the front pockets so that it's still accessible from the inside to remove for washing and also easy and discrete to interact with in a more natural and comfortable way. I also had no way to see the status of the light while wearing the garment. I had to either ask someone if the light was on, off or blinking, or take the jacket off to see the status of the light. This could be improved if some LED piping was run to the front of the jacket and made visible somewhere that is easy to see while wearing it.

Washability with wearable tech garments is always a major challenge. This garment features an internal battery pocket for the LED lighting and a back zipper pocket to hold essentials. I found it very easy to remove the battery from the pocket...

...and unhook the led for machine washing. Keep it up Lucy. I can't wait for more products like this!

More info on the Nightlight Jacket at Lucy.

Examining the culture of militarization

Carrie Mae Rose’s work is aimed to evoke emotion. Her work includes sculptural mandalas made of confiscated scissors and razors and a proposed necklace constructed out of violet wands (a relative of the Tesla coil).Her projects examine the culture of militarization and its influence on pop culture, education, entertainment, and high fashion.

Her current explorations include a series of interactive costumes titled Wearable Weapons that she's creating through a residency at Eyebeam. Here's what she says she'll be exploring during her time there:

I am planning to build a series of interactive costumes I call Wearable Weapons. I will be testing and collaborating to create at least 2 or 3 collars that use devices called Violet Wands that are placed in a large wearable armature. Violets Wands are sold both to the police department and the S&M community and are generally described as either self defense products or highly erotic electro-stimulation tools. The wands have a variety of intensity levels that do anything from burn to arouse the end receiver. I’m still working out what kind of interactivity the pieces will have, but the working idea is that they will respond both to sound and movement.

I can't wait to see what she creates. Her gorgeous moodboard is certainly intriguing...

Eyebeam intern Katherine DiPierro sat down with Carrie Mae for a conversation on the intersection of technology and vulnerability. You can read the interview here at Eyebeam.

AND...If you want to get invloved with the project, Carrie Mae Rose is currently looking for an intern or collaborator. More info on the opportunity is here.