SmartCap monitors workers' fatigue levels by reading their brain waves

You don’t need to be an expert in occupational safety to know that worker fatigue is one of the leading causes of workplace accidents – this particularly applies to people who operate heavy machinery or drive for a living. While it would be great if all employees simply took a break when fatigue started setting in, it can sometimes be difficult for people to tell just how tired they really are. That, or they decide that they just want to push through and get the job done, drowsiness be damned. A relatively new invention from Australia’s EdanSafe, however, takes the guesswork out of the picture. It’s called the SmartCap, and it measures employee fatigue in real time by monitoring its wearer’s brain waves... Continue Reading SmartCap monitors workers' fatigue levels by reading their brain waves

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Brain, EEG, Monitoring, Safety

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FLORA - a platform for your wearable DIY electronics projects

A new platform for wearable electronics, known as the FLORA, was announced by its creators Adafruit Industries on Friday. Essentially a small, round, fabric-friendly circuit board that looks a little like a flower, the FLORA will, when ready, be launched with a variety of accessories and software. These will include, we gather, controllers for iPhone, iPad and Android hardware. The FLORA is ripe for wearable DIY electronics projects: announced modules include Bluetooth, GPS, 3-axis accelerometer, compass, and, intriguingly, OLED... Continue Reading FLORA - a platform for your wearable DIY electronics projects

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Arduino, Electronics, Wearable

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Sensics SmartGoggles - The VR headset with the works

There certainly wasn't a shortage of smart eyewear at CES this year. Shortly after our encounter with Vuzix SMART Glasses we ran across these formidable looking SmartGoggles from Sensics. The Natalia Immersive SmartGoggles provide an ideal platform from which to deliver a powerful immersive gaming experience and as a result, they take up a considerable amount of space - "SmartHelmet" might be a more accurate description. But the bulkiness is quickly forgotten when you look at the hardware that's packed under the shell of this 360-degree 3D gaming and entertainment video rig. .. Continue Reading Sensics SmartGoggles - The VR headset with the works

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: 3D Glasses, CES 2012, Sensics

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Burg Neon watch phones launch at CES

Despite the fact that it's getting more and more difficult to find someone who doesn't carry a smartphone with them at all times, the notion of the Dick Tracy style watch phone isn't dead yet. In the past few years, we've seen examples from companies such as LG, Samsung, Hyundai and Orange, just to name a few. This week at CES, watchmaker Burg officially added its Neon line of watch phones to that list by announcing two models that will be coming to the U.S. market... Continue Reading Burg Neon watch phones launch at CES

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: CES 2012, Watch phone

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Vuzix SMART glasses bring Augmented Reality into focus at CES

Vuzix Corporation came to CES 2012 armed with a video eyewear technology that, as they put it in the press release, "breaks the boundaries of conventional optics and display solutions." SMART Glasses Technology is based on integrated HD display engines and waveguide optics, as opposed to refractive and/or reflective optics used so far. What does that actually mean and is this technology really going to make Head Mounted Displays lose their association with bulkiness and strange looks? Read on for a report straight from the CES 2012 floor... Continue Reading Vuzix SMART glasses bring Augmented Reality into focus at CES

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: CES 2012, Eyewear, Glasses, Vuzix

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Sensor sleeves could maximize workplace efficiency

In factories where products are mass-produced, it's extremely important to know how long the human workers take to perform certain tasks. This not only allows the pace of the assembly line to be set, but it also allows factory owners to identify time-wasting problems such as superfluous movements, overly frequent tool changes, or impractically-located components. Typically, workers are periodically timed by a stopwatch-wielding supervisor, or using a timer that they start and stop themselves. A new wearable time-keeping system, however, promises more accurate readings... Continue Reading Sensor sleeves could maximize workplace efficiency

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Efficiency, Fraunhofer, Motion sensor, Time

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Aftershokz headphones deliver sound through cheeks rather than your ears

When you think of headphones, no matter what comes to mind, it's likely a set that fit inside or on top of your ears. There is another way however - headphones that transmit sound through your cheekbones using bone conduction. Initially developed for military use, we've seen a few examples of this technology before in headphones, waterproof MP3 players and even mobile phones and the latest to cross our desk - Aftershokz Bone Conduction Headphones - will be on show at CES next week... Continue Reading Aftershokz headphones deliver sound through cheeks rather than your ears

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Bone Conduction, CES 2012, Headphones

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Hoodiebuddie combines earbud cords with drawstrings

Working from the premise that very few people use drawstrings on their hoodies, HB3Labs has developed Hoodiebuddie - a lineup of garments that integrates earbuds into the end of the drawstrings and a 3.5 mm headphone jack in front pocket. .. Continue Reading Hoodiebuddie combines earbud cords with drawstrings

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Clothing, Earphones, Headphones, Music

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spnKiX motorized shoes edge closer to production

Peter Treadway's battery-powered motorized shoes - which we first spied as a concept in mid-2010 - are edging closer to production. Called spnKiX, these electric roller-skates have gone through more than thirty prototypes over a five year period to reach the final design and if all goes to plan they will hit the pavement in March 2012... Continue Reading spnKiX motorized shoes edge closer to production

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Kickstarter, Shoes, Skate

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Glasses emit personal sound and smell to boost your social life

Researchers from Keio University in Tokyo created glasses designed to augment the wearer's experience by providing additional audio and olfactory stimuli during social encounters. Fitted with speakers and scent emitters, the spectacles emit sound and smell signals unique to the person you meet. This eyewear is clearly more than just a fashion accessory. Rather, in the words of its makers, it is an attempt to encourage face-to-face communication with emotional and memorable sound and smell experiences... Continue Reading Glasses emit personal sound and smell to boost your social life

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Bluetooth, Glasses, Smell

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Party vest makes you the life of the party

If you want to make yourself the life of the party then the Party Vest could be for you. Sure, you might struggle to carry on a conversation with anyone but it will likely be a conversation starter for other attendees at the shindig. Built on top of a Daniese Gilet Cali Tessuto motorcycle vest, the Party Vest comes retrofitted with an 8-inch Boss audio bass 900 subwoofer on the back and a pair of motorcycle speakers reaching over each shoulder... Continue Reading Party vest makes you the life of the party

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Clothes, Speakers, Subwoofer

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Click Keypad watch displays the time and date in a unique way

At first glance, it might be hard for you to tell how the Click Keypad watch is a watch at all. Its face features a keypad like you might find on your computer, with no display to show you the time, date, or any other information like a traditional watch might. How the watch does display those things is where the magic comes in. Tapping one of the numbered keys on the watch's keypad will cause the lights on the numbered keys to light up and show the time. For instance, if the time was 9:30, the light on the 9 would light up, followed by the 3, and then the zero. .. Continue Reading Click Keypad watch displays the time and date in a unique way

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Keypad, Watch

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Lumus glasses let you watch video, and the real world

Cinema glasses aren't exactly anything new. You typically wear the glasses like you would your favorite pair of shades, and then see what appears to be a private giant screen in front of you. The downside of these cinema-shades? You can't see what's actually going on in the world around you. Lumus is attempting to fix that issue with a new line of video glasses that you can see through. The transparent lenses display what appears to your eyes as an 87-inch screen, while allowing you to see what's going on in front of you at the same time... Continue Reading Lumus glasses let you watch video, and the real world

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Display, Glasses, Video

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Kisai Rogue Touch Pocket Watch - a new take on an all time classic

The pocket watch was the standard portable time-keeping option for around 400 hundreds before being replaced in the 20th century by the more convenient wrist-worn variety. So could the pocket watch return to its former glory? Way-out watchmaker Tokyoflash seems to think so, having combined the classic pocket watch with its futuristic Kisai Rogue unit to create the touchscreen-equipped Kisai Rogue Touch Pocket Watch... Continue Reading Kisai Rogue Touch Pocket Watch - a new take on an all time classic

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Tokyo Flash, Touchscreen, Watches

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Electronic Drum Machine Shirt lets you bring beats with you

You never know when you'll be walking down the street and want to bust out a few sweet beats. This Electronic Drum machine lets you bring a drum machine with you wherever you go, and create and layer beats on the fly. The shirt has nine different drum kits built-in, including Rock drums, Techno Punk drums, Classic Jazz drums, and Scratchy drums. Drums can be played and looped by tapping the drum pads and controls on the front of the shirt, and loops can be recorded up to three minutes in length. You can mix-and-match drums from different kits in the same loops, and even play all seven at once if you're feeling really adventurous... Continue Reading Electronic Drum Machine Shirt lets you bring beats with you

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Drums, Music, Shirt

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magnetU searches for nearby social matches

When I was younger and cared a lot more about being “cool,” I would sometimes wear T-shirts with the names of my favorite rock bands on them. While this was partly just to show off my supposed musical enlightenment to the world, it was also in hopes that some like-minded person (preferably female and attractive) would see it and strike up a friendship with me. Well, magnetU is sort of like a high-tech band T-shirt. The wearable radio frequency device wirelessly transmits your personality profile to the world as you roam the streets, ever on the lookout for another magnetU transmitting a compatible profile from a nearby person. Should that occur, both devices will alert their owners that a potential social match is in the vicinity... Continue Reading magnetU searches for nearby social matches

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Social Networking

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RumbaTime Go Watch lets you carry medical and payment information on your wrist

It's not always convenient to take your wallet with you wherever you go. Times like a morning run or bike ride, it can be easier to leave your cash and ID at home. What happens if you're out on a run and want to stop for a cup of coffee? What if you have a medical emergency or become injured during your trip? RumbaTime's series of GO-enabled watches aim to solve those problems by letting you bring your cash and all your medical information along with you wherever you go in a small colorful watch. .. Continue Reading RumbaTime Go Watch lets you carry medical and payment information on your wrist

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Contactless, Emergencies, Identification, Medical, Payments, Watches

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Comfort shoes with embedded GPS to keep track of Alzheimer's patients

As millions of baby boomers approach 65, the rates of Alzheimer’s sufferers is expected to continue to rise significantly in the coming decade. Already 5.4 million Americans are living with the disease with that figure predicted to rise to as many as 16 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. To make it easier for caregivers and family members to keep track of those suffering dementia, Personal Location Services company GTX Corp has partnered with comfort shoe manufacturer Aetrex to produce the GPS Shoe that allows real-time tracking of the wearer. .. Continue Reading Comfort shoes with embedded GPS to keep track of Alzheimer's patients

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Alzheimer, GPS, Shoes

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Limited edition URWERK UR-110 ZrN - a timepiece built for discretion

The appeal of a luxury timepiece has little to do with being able to tell the time. They are signifiers of status, wealth and taste (or the lack of it) and the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars/pounds/euros that they cost can be justified to some extent by the use of precious metals and gemstones, or the history of hundreds of years of artisanal craftsmanship that some brands possess. Then there is a whole other level of horology that transcends even these considerations. Where "value" is judged in a similar way to modern art. Where timepieces are created in strictly limited numbers around a unique conceptual design using cutting-edge materials and extraordinary mechanical skill. Urwerk is a Swiss watchmaker that has prospered at these lofty heights for ten years and its latest creation admirably demonstrates the attributes required of these astonishingly expensive mechanical masterpieces... Continue Reading Limited edition URWERK UR-110 ZrN - a timepiece built for discretion

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Analog, Luxury, Urwerk, Wristwatch

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Waterproof fabric anntena could save people lost at sea

A patch about the size of the leather name tab on a pair of jeans could save your life one day – should you be stranded at sea, that is. In a project overseen by the European Space Agency (ESA), researchers from Finnish company Patria and the Tampere University of Technology have created a flexible fabric antenna, that can be sewn into life vests. Once activated, that antenna transmits its coordinates to earth-orbiting satellites, that can immediately relay the location to rescue personnel... Continue Reading Waterproof fabric anntena could save people lost at sea

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Antenna, emergency, ESA, rescue, Smart Fabric

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Morphix Chameleon - wrist worn chemical detection for first responders

When it comes to toxic gases, what you can’t see can most definitely hurt you. To improve the safety of military personnel, firefighters, police and emergency medical personnel who are often called into situations where they may be exposed to toxic gases, Morphix Technologies has developed the Chameleon chemical detection device. Designed to be worn on the forearm, the device can hold up to ten disposable cassettes, each of which detects a different toxic gas. .. Continue Reading Morphix Chameleon - wrist worn chemical detection for first responders

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Detection, Gas, Safety, Sensors

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'Intelligent T-shirt' could remotely monitor patients' vital signs

More and more we're hearing about clothing made from smart fabrics being used in the field of medicine, to monitor patients wearing such garments. One of the latest examples is the "intelligent T-shirt," designed by scientists at Spain's Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). It can remotely monitor a person's temperature, heart rate, activity level, position and location... Continue Reading 'Intelligent T-shirt' could remotely monitor patients' vital signs

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Medical, Patient, Shirt, Smart Fabric

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BAE develops Body Wearable Antennas

Reliable communications are almost as critical to the modern soldier as their weapons and ammunition. Conventional whip-antennas are not only cumbersome and conspicuous, but they don't always provide a reliable link between a soldier laying on the ground and one standing up. Meanwhile, the short antenna of a portable radio can mean the signal is masked by the user's body. To provide more reliable, continuous 360-degree radio coverage, BAE Systems has developed a series of Body Wearable Antennas (BWAs) that, like the experimental antenna system recently developed at Ohio State University, sees the antennas weaved into the fibers of a uniform... Continue Reading BAE develops Body Wearable Antennas

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Antenna, BAE Systems, Communications, Military, Wearable

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Nike is actually making the MAG shoes from Back To The Future II

Well, you may have heard rumblings about hints made at a mysterious press event that just took place in Los Angeles, but now it's official: Nike will be auctioning off 1,500 pairs of NIKE MAG high-top sneakers, just like the ones worn in the year 2015 by Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future II. While it isn't clear if the shoes automatically fit themselves to the wearer's feet (as Marty McFly's did), they are at the very least exact visual replicas of the kicks from the movie. .. Continue Reading Nike is actually making the MAG shoes from Back To The Future II

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: movie, Nike, Shoes

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Film-maker's Camera Eye is up and shooting

When he was nine years old, Toronto film-maker Rob Spence received a severe injury to his right eye in a shotgun accident. After a period of hiding the aftermath under an eyepatch, six years ago he had the eye replaced with a prosthesis. Being a visual artist, however, he had an idea - instead of just an unseeing artificial eye, he wanted one that could capture images of what he was looking at, and wirelessly transmit them to an external recording device. He himself wouldn't be able to see through the eye, but the footage obtained from it could take film-making to new levels. It's been a few years since Spence began his Eyeborg Project, but he has just announced that the eye is now functioning... Continue Reading Film-maker's Camera Eye is up and shooting

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Eye, Filmmaking, Kickstarter, Prosthesis, Video Camera

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