At the I/O 2016, Google’s ATAP (Advanced Technology and Projects) division and Levi Strauss (Levi’s) jointly announced a Smart Commuter Trucker Jacket powered by Project Jacquard. The Levi’s Commuter x Jacquard by Google Trucker Jacket is expected to hit the stores by Spring 2017 although a limited beta version is scheduled for Fall 2016.
Engineered specifically to meet the needs of urban cyclists, the Smart Commuter Trucker Jacket looks like any average denim jacket but packs the Jacquard Tag – an interactive fibre located on the jacket’s left arm which links up with the sensor on the left cuff on the sleeves.
The tag – which can be taken off and charged via USB, allow users carry out tasks like playing or skipping songs, answering or declining calls, responding to notifications, adjusting the volume of playlist and accessing navigation infos with gestures like holding, tapping and swiping. The jacket (without the Jacquard tag on) can be washed just like any other.
Culled from Google and Levi’s statement, this what the Levi’s Commuter x Jacquard by Google Trucker Jacket works;
“It all starts with a conductive yarn woven into the fabric—in the same way traditional materials are made—to create an interactive textile that links seamlessly with services and applications through interactive touch. The digital connectivity is provided through a smart tag, and apart from this detachable tag, the whole interactive garment is washable and durable like regular denim. Simple inputs like swipes or taps on the jacket can connect to the device’s functionality to control music and silence calls, where the touch then registers wirelessly to a phone or tablet.
Jacquard is a platform, and with the Levi’s® Commuter™ Trucker Jacket , you decide what it does for you. A fully integrated app will allow the user to program the level of interaction with their device, and what features are most important to them adjusting music volume, silencing a call, or getting an estimated ETA to their location.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ-lcdMfziw
