Since the early 2000s, the smart jacket has been lingering onto the market. Even so, it has yet to go mainstream. With new developments in enabling tech, the smart jacket trend isn’t going to disappear. More companies are starting to play around with this idea. Below is the evidence the WT detector has gathered proving that smart jacket is making a comeback
Omius
Ever wondered how a plant can stay warm or cold without clothing on? Well, Omius Tech has studied this phenomenon and incorporated it into a mixture of robotics and textiles. The goal is to allow for the clothing to recognize when the body is hot or cold and adjust the air flow. They recently tested their jacket on Ingrid Drexel, Olympic Cyclist. They also spoke at the recent WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2016 USA.
Baubax
BauBax has created the World’s Best Traveling Jacket. It has specialized pockets for storing all of you most used electronics. It is light, comfortable and able to withstand weather changes. In 2015, BauBax hosted a successful Kickstarter. Now, you can purchase several styles of the jack for around $150-200. That’s not it, for the jacket has 15 features. A special one I would use while traveling, is the eye mask that folds down from the inside of the hood.
Sinapsi
Sinapsi is a heated line jacket designed in Italy. The jacket uses Bluetooth to connect any iOS and Android devices. Once connected, three heating panel placed on the front and back along with multi-level heat adjusting battery keep you warm for up to 10 hours. The lightweight construction makes it best for all types of activity. Along with the mobile app, you can turn on and off your Sinapsi at any time. Additionally, you can schedule appointments on the jacket about where and when you want to go. That’s not all! With the app you will be alerted when the weather conditions are changing, therefore you are always on prepared no matter what.
Google & Levis Coop
2016 marks the event that Google and Levi’s smart jacket has arrived! It’s a smart jean jacket that connects to your smartphone. The jacket contains a weave of the Jacquard interactive threading on the left alarm. There is an embedded Bluetooth which enables you to connect to the cuff of your jacket. That cuff allows you to talk on the phone throughout your jacket – now you call feel like a member of the Secret Services. Moreover, you are able to swipe the fabric to adjust the volume of your music, tap to change tracks and use another custom gesture to get navigational directions from Google Maps. A plus side of the commuter jacket is it makes biking easy with its built-in interactions. Now, bikers can use to control their phones safely while riding.This smart jacket will be available in 2017!
Thermal Tech
Thermal Tech is also another amazing jacket coming in 2016. It captures the power of the sun with the patented solar- absorbing technology that converts sun (UV light) into warmth to heat you up to 20oF in just 2 minutes. ThermalTech is designed to keep you warmer longer, thus allowing you to do the things you love the most in the outdoors. Beyond that, ThermalTech offers various jacket collections: Street (perfect for running errands around town or a night out on the town), Explorer (great for campers, hikers and fishing) and Extreme (ideal companion for snowboarding and skiing).
Vodafone smart jacket
Lastly, Vodafone Netherlands also made a new entry into the genre with their smart jacket. Designed to prevent cyclists from using their mobiles while riding. Vodafone teamed with Technical University Delft and the Dutch Cyclist Association. You map out your route on a map app and then tuck your phone into a special pocket, which uploads the route and transmits it to a built-in Raspberry Pi device hooked up to 300 built-in LEDs. Lights on the jacket sleeves direct the traveller along the best route to take while more LEDs on the back of the jacket alert drivers about where you’re heading.
Emel and Aris brings to life British luxury tailored coats for men and women with revolutionary heating system. The heating system which is hidden under the lining of the Smart Coat is slim and light-weight. Unlike traditional heating by wires, the heat spreads through an inert specially-formulated polymer. However, there is only short cable which connects the battery to the coat. The battery has three heat settings that control power usage. On the lowest setting, the battery can heat the coat for 8-10 hours. On the highest setting, it lasts for 3 hours.
Let’s see how these amazing smart jackets integrate into our daily life!
