The number of wearable users in the US is predicted to reach predicted to reach 67 million, more than 25% of the adult population, by 2022. Wearable technology is expanding beyond the realm of fitness trackers and smartwatches, creating new opportunities for brands to reach their customers and improve day-to-day tasks.
To stay on top of this growing demand, the Perficient Digital Labs team has been trying its hand at wearable design and development.
“We challenged ourselves to produce a practical wearable product,” Director of Emerging Experiences Dan Thompson wrote in a recent blog post. “[We asked] ‘What can we produce that’s new, interesting, and useful?’”
This question led the team to develop a prototype for a light-based signaling system that could be used with electric scooters (you know, the ones popping up everywhere) to increase rider safety.
After several rounds of development and testing, the final product was a set of electroluminescent (EL) signals mounted on an everyday backpack and controlled using a Bluetooth-enabled cycling glove. Users can indicate turns and braking by simply moving certain fingers. The EL tape attached to the front and back of the bag then responds accordingly, signaling the rider’s intent and increasing visibility.
Watch the video below for a glimpse into the development process and to see Dan take the new prototype on a test-drive around the streets of Chicago.
To learn more about how this prototype was developed, check out the original blog post.
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This is brilliant – excellent work, guys!!!