So the long-anticipated iWatch was finally unveiled, and to be honest, it had us at TEAM Design Group saying: “Meh.” Actually, a lot of wearable technology these days feels like smart glasses or smart watches. Granted, this really is the first year that wearable tech has taken off, so it’s a bit early to do any serious experimentation. Still, some people are thinking outside of the glasses and watches box, and a number of these individuals have turned to crowdfunding to make their wearables a reality. Today, we’re going to brush off certain big name companies and take a look at how these innovative minds are taking wearable technology to different places.
1. Audio Engineer’s Hoodie by Nic Pope
If you’re in the field of audio engineering, you’re in for a treat. This “smart hoodie” is not only equipped to handle all sorts of situations on the field, such as balancing and unbalancing emergencies, but it also has internal headphone routing meant for listening to tunes as you go. Also, it’s very comfy.
Why It Stands Out To Us:
Though it’s tempting to treat this hoodie as a wearable meant for everyone, Audio Engineer’s Hoodie creator Nic Pope explicitly states in his video that his creation was made for audio engineers specifically. A person who designs a product to solve problems specific to a particular niche is a person who really has to understand their field and think critically about how they can best create a solution. As a product development group, we always applaud that sort of approach.
Okay, we’re kind of cheating on this one because it counts as eyewear. However, instead of being yet another pair of “smart glasses,” Neuro:On is a “smart sleep mask.” It measures a person’s biological signs and translates the data collected from analogue readings to digital analysis. This data then goes to a smartphone application that determines the best sleep patterns for the individual.
Why It Stands Out To Us:
This smart device sets out to solve a problem that a number of people have, but may brush off because they try to “tough it out.” Intelclinc understood that poor sleep often plagues the lives of professional urban dwellers, and we’re delighted to see a wearable device specifically meant to address such an often overlooked health issue.
For quite some time now, a number of creative solutions to the “charging devices without a cord or outlet” problem have popped up. But how many times have you seen that solution come in the form of wearable technology? VIVO’s Solar Bag took the commonplace backpack and transformed it into a solar-powered charger for USB devices.
Why It Stands Out To Us:
Portable charging devices aren’t anything new, but we haven’t seen that many try to tackle multiple problems at once. The idea of charging your devices via backpack is already a clever one, but VIVO went one step beyond and aimed to make their product visually appealing and affordable. We always give brownie points to people who make products that address as many issues as possible.
It’s really no surprise that wearable technology often goes hand-in-hand with sports and sporting goods. However, we have to say we haven’t seen many wearables quite like runScribe. This tiny device simply clips on to the back of a runner’s shoe and collects thousands of data points that help a runner analyze his or her stride. Runners can then study this data to help themselves prevent injuries and make better training decisions.
Why It Stands Out To Us:
runScribe is one of the few sports-related wearables we’ve seen that collects such a thorough breadth of data. It also places greater emphasis on gathering information that helps athletes improve for the future rather than simply tracking a present run. Our TEAM always loves technology that doesn’t just tell someone if they’re performing “well” or “poorly,” but it tells that person how they specifically can improve.
5. MicroCool by Chuck Bates & John Cato
At first glance, it looks like an ordinary denim apron. How does that count as wearable tech, you may ask. The answer lies with the micro-thermal technology in MicroCool’s fabric, which protects wearers from hot oils, boiling liquids, and is certified fire retardant. Did we also mention that the thermal-technology treatment never washes out?
Why It Stands Out To Us:
Be honest: would any of you reading this have ever guessed that someone made an apron “wearable technology?” We admittedly didn’t, and that’s why we’re all the more impressed. MicroCool’s sole objective is to to protect cooks from dangerous substances that cause countless burns and injuries each year. Frankly, that’s more than we can say for wearables with a bunch of fancy features but no sense of functionality.
Do you think there should be more variety in the types of wearables people produce? Have we overlooked any unique crowdfounded wearables that you know about? Leave a comment below, or tweet us @TeamDesignGroup!
