Oct. 12, 2006 — Forget mood rings, it may someday be possible to wear your heart on your sleeve, literally.
Two experimental, sensor-packed garments that respond to a person's mood
and environment could, developers hope, represent the future of intuitive
electronics.
Related technologies could someday lead to cars that automatically navigate a quiet route when the driver is stressed, or chairs that sense exhaustion and automatically dim the room lights.
Today, the way we interact with electronics is "all reduced to button
pressing, and that's an extremely alienating interaction," said Clive
van Heerden, senior director at Netherlands-based Philips Design.
"Our life shouldn't be something that just comes on or goes off," he added.
Van Heerden and his team have designed two prototype
garments as part of a project named SKIN — inspired by the way human
skin reacts naturally to both external and internal stimuli.
The garments are not intended for the commercial market but as a means to explore the idea of intuitive technology.
A body suit called "Frison" is covered in tiny, hair-like sensors that pick up physical stimuli, such as a breeze or contact by another person, and emit twinkling lights in response.
A dress called "Bubelle" (pronounced "bubble") is lined with sensors that monitor physiological changes associated with different emotions and send a signal to lights on the outer layer of the fabric. Stress, arousal, or fear generate a blush of pink light that changes pattern and color based on the intensity of the emotion.
Through these prototypes, Philips Design hopes to mimic the
subtle, nonverbal ways humans communicate and transfer
that capability to clothes, appliances, cars,
computers and more.
