Development of Haptic-Feedback Clothing

June 2019 – Through the use of haptic signaling in smart textiles, people with sight and hearing impairment can receive information sensed in the environment by touching a part of their body. The technology incorporates a computer-connected wearable camera that identifies important items, such as peoples’ faces, the information is translated into vibration or other haptic signals. The project responsible for this technology is called SUITCEYES. The acronym stands for Smart, User-friendly, Interactive, Tactual, Cognition-Enhancer that Yields Extended Sensophere. This prototype clothing currently takes the form of a vest with a checkerboard pattern where each square of the material contains a separate “actuator that buzzes the wearer in a different place to convey different information.” Looking forward, smart textiles may become the triple threat of wearables: smart, cool, and fashionable. [Source: Ben Coxworth, NewAtlas]