Intel is continuing its experiments with wearables and is getting quite serious about it. Recently the chip making giant collaborated with British designer Hussein Chalayan to make smart belts and glasses that detect stress levels for five models in the designer’s Spring/Summer 2017 show. Neither the chip maker nor the designer has expressed plans for making them available more widely, however, notes Engadget.
How the smart devices detect stress levels
The glasses powered by Intel’s Curie module collect biometric data from three sensors, capacitive electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes, a microphone, and an optical heart sensor. To read brainwaves, the glasses have capacitive EEG electrodes on both temples, while the nose bridge houses a microphone and an optical heart sensor for measuring breathing rates and heart rate variability. For accurate stress detection, the information is combined by the onboard Curie module, which uses what Intel calls “sensor fusion,” Engadget explains.
The information is sent over Bluetooth to a 3D-printed belt around the model’s waist. The belts sport Curie modules as well to receive the data. In addition, the belts have an Intel Compute Stick to visualize and process the stress metric. Lastly, a pico projector on the waist displays the image and the animation on a wall in front of the models to show their stress levels.
The models will be instructed to try to lower their stress levels as they walk down the runway by inhaling for six seconds and exhaling for four seconds. The audience will be able to see the projected animation change, if every gadget works as it should and everything goes well, says Engadget. Focusing on relaxing throughout such a big event is, of course, not easy, so it would not be shocking if the animations did not appear to change.
Any real-world applications for this Intel tech?
Chalayan has long been experimenting with his garments and technology. Thanks to animatronics and microchips, he has come up with looks that change shapes, such as dresses embedded with 15,000 LEDs to recreate a pixelated screen or a coffee table that turned into a skirt, says Forbes.
“Only with technology can you create new things in fashion. Everything else has been done,” the designer said previously.
Talking of Intel’s latest tech, it is difficult to see a real-world application for this specific device pairing, but it is no doubt an amazing technology demonstration for the chip maker. Intel is certainly hoping to motivate more wearable makers to adopt its Curie technology, and this does look like an interesting way to show off its abilities.
