New projects have recently appeared in the fashion world. Indeed, many connected clothes have appeared in recent years, especially since the introduction of the Apple Watch. But will these new kinds of clothes become commonplace in the clothing industry, and eventually become an everyday essential?
First of all, what are connected clothes and what do we mean by wearable technology?
Wearable technology is a category of electronic devices that can be worn as accessories, integrated into clothing, implanted in the user’s body or even tattooed onto the skin. These devices are hands-free gadgets for practical use, powered by microprocessors and improved with the ability to send and receive data via the Internet.
These clothes and accessories therefore have the same function as all the others and an additional functionality: they can measure your heart rate, send notifications, guide you via maps and so much more.
Discover the best-connected clothes:
FASHION:
- Google x Levi’s: The Jacquard Project Connected Jacket (Google’s Touch Technology) by Levi’s and Google
With a classic denim jacket design tailored to everyday life, the Levi’s Trucker Jacket lets you access digital services from your armband from wherever you are with Jacquard technology. You can get updates on your day, take a selfie remotely or be notified if you forget your phone or jacket.
By simply connecting the jacket to your laptop via Bluetooth, you will also be able to answer the phone, start music or search for a route with a simple hand movement.
Convenient but don’t forget to remove the technology systems before you put it in the washing machine.
– Google x Saint Laurent: Jacquard Project Cit-e Backpack by Saint Laurent and Google
This bag has a touch strap that allows the control of a connected smartphone. Its features are mostly the same as the Levi’s jacket: when paired with your phone, the bag provides commands for music, messaging, instructions and alerts. These are obtained by vibrations and the control surface can be integrated into any fabric. It allows you to perform basic touch gestures similar to those of a touch screen.
PRACTICES:
– Amazon: Alexa’s smart ring, glasses and earbuds
Alexa now leaves home to accompany you outside with the new Echo Frames smart glasses, echo Loop ring and Amazon Echo Buds headphones.
With a touch zone, ambient light sensor, accelerometer and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, the Alexa glasses allow you to take calls, set up reminders, add tasks to a to-do list, listen to music podcasts and control connected objects in the home. In addition to Alexa, you can also access Google Assistant.
The Echo Loop connected ring has two microphones and also a loudspeaker and includes the same features as the glasses, except that the sound comes out of your finger through the smallest loudspeaker ever installed on an Echo device.
- Apple: Apple Watch
You probably already know this watch from the tech giant.
Connected to your smartphone, you can send SMS messages, answer calls and also use Siri or Alexa to control your devices remotely, but it also monitors your health with the sensor heart rate, capable of performing an electrocardiogram (ECG). The watch also has the ability to analyze your sleep, accurately track calories expended and minutes of training performed while working out.
HEALTHY CLOTHES:
Wearable technology in the healthcare sector includes electronic devices that consumers can wear, such as Fitbits and smartwatches, and are designed to collect data related to the health and exercise of the user. U.S. consumers’ use of portable devices rose from 9% in 2014 to 33% in 2018, according to Accenture.
- Fitbit Flex: watches for form
This watch allows you to track your health by measuring your number of steps, distance traveled, your caloric expenditure, your number of active minutes and your activity per hour.
It also invites you to move more by sending you notifications every hour offering to take 250 steps to stay active.
The Fitbit Flex watch acts as a mini personal trainer that encourages you to spend time while controlling your health. In addition, you want your Fitbit to stand out you can find your happiness thanks to the various elegant collections of Flex designers including Adidas, Kim Shui and Public School.
- Cyrcadia health: Breast Monitor Connected Brass, to detect breast cancer
The bra uses a pair of adaptable and portable patches with eight built-in digital temperature sensors that transmit temperature data to a recording device (DRD) bluetooth-enabled data. Once the connection is made with a smartphone (or similar Internet-enabled device) with the Cyrcadia Mobile app, the App receives the stored data and transfers it to the data to a storage and subsequent transmission at the Core Lab where Cyrcadia’s proprietary patented analytical structure resides.
The data is then analyzed, and the results are sent back to the local data manager and also stored in the laboratory’s central database. The local data manager refers the results of the client’s application and the prescribing physician.
THE ORIGINALS:
- Swedish company Epicenter: The technological implant, technology in the skin
These are high-tech implants sub-cutaneous on the hand, they are no bigger than a grain of rice. More than just a jewel of technology, they allow their guests to pass the security gates of their company, use photocopiers or even pay for their drinks in the cafeteria.
In the future, these skin chips would aim to “facilitate our daily life”: they would replace our car keys, our office badges, our official papers such as passports, driver’s licenses and all those loyalty cards. They would also allow us to pay for our groceries without wallets or bank cards and to order all their connected items in the surrounding area.
They could even soon allow the civil and medical identification of humans in an accident!
- Duo Skin, smart tattoo by Microsoft x MIT
This relatively thin smart tattoo sticks to the skin and would contain the functions of a digital reader. A simple tap on an area of the tattoo would allow you to jump a track or increase the volume for example.
After going through these examples illustrating wearable technologies in different forms, which ones tempt you most? Is it the Alexa smart glasses, the Google x Saint Laurent jacket or the technological implant from Sweden?
Here is THE question: these interesting technologies remain new, exciting and unusual. Questioning the fact that they may one day become a norm in our society.
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