Technology comes in all shapes and sizes (a chipped rock tied to a stick was once ‘cutting-edge’ technology, literally). We usually envision technology as growing ever smaller and ever more useful for our entertainment. But in today’s post we poked around for some innovations that might someday hang in our closets rather than link us to Foursquare. For the female tech-and-chic maven, Stephen Rodrig has created a line of circuited shoes and accessories that certainly seem to appeal much more to the eye than to the foot. His goal seems one of iconic fashion and recycling: “Rather than ending up in a mound of obsolete waste destined to rot in time, there is a recycled life waiting to take on a new form.”
Other designs strive for a higher level of practicality, and the ones we want to feature here will, in fact, engage working circuit boards in one mode or another. They also present environmentally friendly means to do so.
Staying with the feet, podiatrists, designers, and runners have long been aware of the fact that walking burns calories, but energy is also created. Many shoe designers have tapped into that energy source. Shoes have been designed to store up the energy created from the flex and impact of walking and running to allow cellphones and iPads to be recycled once back home. One of the most promising technologies is called “reverse electrowetting. It uses a micro-fluidic device consisting of thousands of micro-droplets that move past a novel nanotechnology-based thin film. This motion of the droplets is converted into an electrical current.”
If you prefer biking to walking, you might be wondering how to protect yourself without looking like a sweaty triathlete (especially if you don’t really have the body for spandex). The designers at Hövging are developing a way to incorporate a scarf with a helmet − rather, an airbag. You might have guessed from the umlaut that the company is Swedish, so seeing the scarf/helmet in action might be better than quoting the website:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goPMhvgcUq4[/youtube]
At the moment, you can only purchase the accessory/device in Swedish Kroner (3998 K, or about $595). As others enter the market, though, such a fashionable means for cycling protection could be a real boon for bike-sharing in cities, as people need not fear for their safety and carry around helmets all day in case they want to hop a city bike.
Finally, while walking (but not biking, or driving!), you might want some of that stored up energy to drive your tablet computer. How to access it while literally on the move? Alphyn Industries has developed the PadX-1 Ledge jacket designed to hold your laptop without your lap. The jacket looks like a elegant, if rather thick, fleece and urethane pullover. And it hides the iPad in a front pouch that becomes its own table when needed. The company’s currently model only supports the iPad, but they are working on models for other tablets with their different screen configurations. Such a jacket could be a fabulous tool while working in the field and occasionally needing to call on your iPad for information and contacts.
Cool and useful stuff to wear that could charge your devices and save your life. The synergy of technology and fashion has moved a long way from velcro!
