老是忘帶卡被擋在電子系統外？以後穿「一件衣服」就好
你可能會忘記帶鑰匙或公司門禁卡就衝出家門，但你絕對不會忘記穿好衣服再出門。來自華盛頓大學的科學家現在開發出一種可以儲存數據的智慧型衣料，未來不須透過電子元件或感應器，就可以輕鬆為你的公寓或公司打開電子密碼鎖，或讓智慧型手機讀取以啟動導航。結合高科技的智慧型織物多年下來已有些許眉目，比如 Google 和 Levi’s 前年合作推出一款智慧夾克，最近還正式開賣，一件要價 350 美元（約台幣 1 萬元），主打客戶群為腳踏車騎士等，如果你在行進同時想聽音樂、導航或接個電話，不必停在路邊用兩手滑手機，只要在夾克裝有藍牙接收器的袖口處拍拍打打滑滑，音樂播了、導航開了、電話也通了。
雖然受限於各種原因，比如價格高昂、功能有限、耐用程度待檢驗等，這類發明似乎沒有受到太多消費者的追捧。
然而，華盛頓大學資訊科學工程副教授 Shyam Gollakota 相信，他們開發的智慧型織物「真金不怕火煉」，能用最低成本達到高科技目的。具體來說，導電線圈不只可以用來傳導電流，還可以被磁化以儲存數據，團隊便透過操縱縫在織物上導電線圈的極性，並編入不同形式的數據如：2D 圖像、位元串（bit string）等，讓計磁器（Magnetometer）來感應讀取，而廉價的計磁儀器普遍鑲嵌於智慧型手機內，可以啟用一些應用程式。
實驗中，研究人員將密碼儲存在導電線圈上並縫在襯衫袖口，接著在裝有計磁器的電子門鎖前來回揮動，計磁器驗證特定訊號後就可以達到解鎖功能。Shyam Gollakota 表示，利用原本就已經存在的計磁器讀取數據，成本可說是微不足道，此外，利用導電線圈的鐵磁性能，讀取過程也不需要使用額外的電子元件或感測器。
研究結果表明，雖然就像酒店門卡一樣，線圈使用一段時間後磁感應靈敏度會減弱，一週約衰退 30%，但它可以丟進洗衣機攪拌、可以放心用洗衣精清潔、也可以承受高達 160℃ 的溫度（熨燙）都不會損害數據儲存能力，也可以多次重新磁化。
除了襯衫外，團隊也研發了可以儲存數據的項鍊、領帶、皮帶、手鍊等，透過這種感應系統，未來我們想刷門禁卡就不用再東挖西掏了。研究團隊接著還會繼續開發能產生更強磁場的紡織品，以更高的密度儲存數據。
新聞來源：科技新報
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》Google 讓你運動流汗也是香的！| Google wants you to SMELL nicer
》Google著手開發高科技「觸碰型布料」| Google developing smart fabrics
》監控機師的疲勞度，智慧科技布料即將實現 | This Smart Textile Could Monitor Pilot Stress Levels in the Future
》Under Armour 推出智慧睡衣，幫助身體快速恢復 | Under Armour Athlete Recover Sleepwear: Our first take
Google and Levi’s Jacquard-enabled jacket is a wearable for those uncompelled by wearables
A SMART JACKET?It’s called the Levi’s Commuter Trucker jacket with Jacquard by Google (yep, it’s a bit of a mouthful, but maybe not by smartphone standards), and at first glance, you might not notice anything unique about it. You’d almost be right on that front — at its core, it’s a pretty standard Levi’s denim jacket. But there’s one really big difference: the high-tech capacitive cuff.
The cuff
This cuff is where Google’s Project Jacquard tech lives. There’s two main pieces to Jacquard: the fabric itself, and the tag.
The fabric is a crazy new technology that took years for Google to figure out. Disrupting the centuries-old process for weaving fabrics, Google and Levi’s figured out a way to get capacitive threads — which basically sense touch the same way a capacitive screen would on a phone — into the fabric so that you can touch it and have that actually do something.
It’s tempting to think that’s a simple feat, but there’s a lot to consider here. This is a piece of clothing, remember, so it would probably be best if those threads didn’t stick out like a sore thumb and make an otherwise fashionable jacket appear like a college kid’s homebrew hack. But it would also be ideal if those threads can be felt so that the user knows where to swipe and touch it. As you can see in the shots I took at SXSW earlier this year, Google has been thoughtful about how it does this.
Oh, and the capacitive fabric needs to be durable and washable so that owning this jacket in particular doesn’t bring annoying inconveniences. Yes, Google and Levi’s wanted to make this a really cool high-tech jacket, but they didn’t want the tech to get in the way the same way a charge-every-day smartwatch would — the goal was to make the touchable fabric feel native.
Generally, I think Google accomplished this. After having worn the jacket for a couple weeks, there have been many times that I’ve forgotten it’s a smart jacket entirely. You might think that would raise concern about the jacket’s usefulness — which, for some people with certain lifestyles, is a justified concern — but I see it as a good thing. Unlike other devices which need to be charged every day, I’ve been able to incorporate the jacket into my life and forget it’s there.
I’m desensitized at this point since I’ve been a fan of the tech for years, but almost everyone I’ve shown this to in person is blown away that it’s a real thing. In a world of smartwatches and smartphones, it’s a real, working consumer product that everyone can actually buy that breaks the mold. Just on that merit alone, I’m a huge fan.
The Tag
Unfortunately, with current technological limitations, it wasn’t feasible — for now, and at this price point — to embed in the fabric everything required to make this jacket work. To sync the touchable fabric up with your phone, you need a Bluetooth receiver and some electronics, which Google houses in what it’s calling the Jacquard Tag.
The Tag is really the only reason you know that this is a smart jacket. For one, you can feel that it’s there. It’s about 5-or-so inches long and tucks inside the right cuff and connects to a port that connects to the capacitive fabric. On the other end there’s a USB-A connector that you use to charge the thing. Despite it existing, I think it looks really nice.
While changing songs and getting notified for calls is probably going to be one of the main use cases, it’s not the only thing you can do. In addition you can also ask what’s currently playing, what time it is, or ask for directions and an ETA. You can also swipe the cuff to count things, like how many puppies you saw on your ride or how many glasses of water you’ve had.
THE JACKET
This is my first time ever doing anything that gets close to being a fashion product review, but for me and my style — this jacket is awesome. I love it. I ride my bike a lot, so I really appreciate a lot of the little touches that Google and Levi’s have added. The jacket has small reflectors on the back so it’s easier to be seen at night, and it has an extended back that hangs down to give you some more length when when you’re hunched over your bike.
I don’t really have anything else to say about the jacket itself, really. I have always liked Levi’s (I pretty much exclusively wear Levi’s jeans as my pant of choice), and I’m happy with the jacket as well. Functionally, it does a good job of keeping me warm in the few weeks out of the year that it gets below 50 degrees Fahrenheit here in Texas.
WHO’S IT FOR?
The jacket retails for $350, and for the gadget-minded individual that’s likely to be reading this review right now, that might seem steep considering its relatively limited functionality in comparison to other “smart wearables” in that price range. But I think it’s best to throw out that comparison because 1) this is brand new technology that’s only available here and 2) it’s meant to be philosophically different from a smartwatch or any other wearable you might compare it to.
And while I know not everyone would share this perspective, I’ve been mostly uncompelled by most wearables. I’ve felt hindered by every smartwatch I’ve tried, not because they’re not cool gadgets, but because, if anything, I want less “technology” in my life. My life is so consumed in my phone and my notifications and my social media that I don’t need — nor do I want — another device that brings all of that closer to my eyeballs (looking at you, Glass) or my wrist.
It’s admittedly a niche use case, but as a cyclist myself and someone who wants the advantages of wearable tech without the distraction, I’ve been happier with this $350 jacket than I have been with any smartwatch I’ve owned. No, it can’t “do” half the things a smartwatch can do, but it does a few things really well. It’s really nice to swipe on your cuff to change tracks instead of fiddling around with a tiny smartwatch screen. It’s awesome to tap your cuff and get the current time in your headphones.
And most of the time, I don’t have to worry about whether or not its battery is charged. I just wear the jacket like I would wear any other piece of clothing. When it’s there, it’s there to be used. When it’s not, it’s not. It’s great.
The most compelling smartwatch use cases for me have been notifications (which I want less of), getting the time (like any watch can do), and simple controls for things like music while driving. For me, the Jacquard jacket does notifications better (only subtle notifications when a specific, important person is trying to get ahold of me), getting the time better (one swipe away from having it read aloud), and music control better (no fiddling with a tiny screen with tiny touch targets).
So if you’re like me (and especially if you’re a cyclist and can appreciate the benefits of the jacket’s design itself), I think you’d also be happy with the jacket. Again, $350 might seem like a lot for something that’s “limited” in features, but for me it’s less about how many features a product has and more about how useful those features actually are.
CONCLUSION
I think that this product deserves more than to be compared against every other smart thing. I know that the thought of a “smart jacket” might be a joke in an age when “smart” versions of everything are popping up, but I think Google and Levi’s actually did a really good job here. Three hundred and fifty dollars, again, might seem like a huge price tag, but it’s worth remembering this jacket is sold in shops next to name brand jackets that might sell for three thousand five hundred dollars.
I know that I’m basically the target market for a product like this (I ride my bike a lot, I’m obviously a huge fan of Google, I like smart products, I’m annoyed with current wearables, and I’ve been wearing Levi’s jeans my whole life), but I’d say this is, for anyone that can appreciate this kind of thing, an awesome first attempt at a new way to interact with our devices. Google spent years trying to turn this into a consumer product, and actually followed through. For them, that’s saying something.
For those that aren’t cyclists, well, this is a really nice jacket — and it’s probably the only piece of clothing you can buy right now that will get OTA updates for added features in the future. If that’s your thing, then this jacket might be a good addition to your closet this winter. The version without the smart stuff costs $150, so an extra $200 for this seems more than justified.
You can grab the jacket at Levi’s website for $350, and of course, it’s not restricted to Android devices. It plays well with iOS (I tested it, just to make sure), and the music streaming and “What’s Playing” functionality works with all the top streaming services. You can download the app for the jacket over at the Play Store or the App Store.
Original Article: 9TO5Google
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