A collection of wearable tech developed by MIT

Smartwatches, health monitors, activity trackers, virtual reality headsets – these are all part of the developing landscape of wearable technology that promises to change the way we live and communicate.

The hottest topic in mobile technology is the introduction of wearable gadgets, and the guys at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) are great resources for these topics. I’m a big fan of their mission, and I am always curious to check their latest innovations in terms of wearable technology.

So, here’s a collection of great wearables that are both functional and fashionable, developed by smart and creative people at MIT.

• The wearable book

Researchers at MIT have created a “wearable” book which allows the reader to experience the protagonist’s emotions. Using a combination of sensors, the book senses which page the reader is on and triggers vibration patterns through a special vest. Also, the vest contains a personal heating device to change skin temperature and a compression system to convey tightness or loosening through airbags. The vest also changes vibrations to match the mood of the book.

• The wearable social network

Students from MIT are working on creating their own social network that helps people break the ice, relying less on virtual life and more on personal connections. Social Textiles is an option for shy people to connect using t-shirts that alert through haptic vibrations and visual cues when they meet other people face to face with similar interests. The shirts are printed with thermochromatic ink letters like a word find game, wired up with thin flexible circuitry and then connected via bluetooth to their phones and the corresponding apps. So, if you meet a new friend that likes rock, both of your shirts will electrify the corresponding letters that read ROCK.

• The wearable fingernail trackpad

MIT has also created a new trackpad which fits on the tip of the user’s fingernail. It’s called NailO, and consists of a capacitive touch surface, microcontroller, battery, and Bluetooth chip crammed into a package that’s small and light enough to wear on your thumb. The creators of this cool trackpad has identified several situations where it might prove useful – when you’re cooking and need to scroll a recipe down but both hands are busy, for example, or maybe at a formal dinner when pulling out a phone might be considered impolite or inappropriate.

• The wearable “magic ring”

Opening doors with a single wave is now possible with the Sesame Ring, a concept that students at MIT developed and that is currently used for the public transportation in Boston. The 3D printed ring is waterproof and RFID-enabled and works like the Boston’s transit card – you just load it with some money and place it against the scanner on the turnstile to get through.

Wearable technology is the next category of tech that will change the way we live, and the researchers from MIT are on a roll. Are you ready for the change?

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