Welcome to Week 4! We’re a third of the way through the semester, and this week is the last week for us to explore the tech and do the fast prototyping.
This week, we’ve got our second room to experiment and work on. We are still discussing how to appropriately use the space.
Thursday: Meeting with Nextiles
On Thursday, we had a meeting with Nextiles on the topic of their products and advancements in wearable technology and its applications.
Modularity of Wearable Technology:
The modularity of the technology allows it to be incorporated into various fabrics such as sleeves or bras.
This technology is not limited to specific sports, as shown in the example of a tennis serve, but can be used in various upper arm sports.
Elbow Movement Analysis:
The wearable captures real data, like how fast the elbow moves. When the elbow bends, it exerts the most pressure on the fabric, which is captured by the device. The data shows non-linear movements, such as the recoil observed when hitting a tennis ball, which momentarily stops elbow movement.
Our Team (Xtension)’s Direction:
We are focusing on wearable devices for location-based physical experiences and the aim is to see a potential future where technology enhances or extends human senses to interact with or perceive their environment in ways not possible currently. A keen interest lies in temperature and its effects, exemplified by thermal cameras detecting heat signatures. The idea of controlling or perceiving temperature in different ways, possibly even leading to remote control or “telekinesis” effects, was discussed.
Transduction and Actuation:
Transduction is about converting energy from one form to another; for example, converting mechanical energy (like moving an elbow) to electrical energy. Actuation is about taking action based on the data. In the context of wearable tech, this could mean changing the VR/AR environment, moving an object, or adjusting fabric temperature.
A small attempt at incorporating haptics, like a vibration motor, into wearables has been made. The challenge is designing a language or feedback system around this.
Temperature Sensing and Fabric:
While fabrics can be made to heat up, they currently aren’t efficient for temperature sensing.
Fabrics have potential in creating immersive VR environments, such as feeling the warmth of Hawaii in a cold environment through heated garments.
The meeting ended with discussions around augmenting the sensation of temperature and how it could be applied in various immersive experiences.