The Belty /Device #2

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Belty Good Vibes is a wearable device created by Emiota, a French start-up, and it is available for pre-order from $395 onwards.

Description:

The smart belt – called The Belty – connects to the user’s smartphone to set up different preferences based on things like sitting or standing.

The Belty has a number of motors built in, and it will automatically tighten when the wearer stands up, and loosen when he sits down. It will also loosen if the wearer has eaten too much.

Apart from the most logical use, The Belty can also track the user’s activity via built-in accelerometer and gyroscope.

It knows exactly how much you’ve been moving and if you should be more active in your life. It will also give you a nudge if you’ve been sitting for too long.

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In addition, Belty comes with a sister application, to showcase data recorded by the device, and help the user plan for a healthier lifestyle.

According to an article on IT ProPortal, the founders of Emiota believe (that) we shouldn’t be creating new wearable things, but add technology to what we already wear, including shoes, glasses, gloves or belts. This interesting opinion was also noted by Prof Demers, who mentioned that by utilising items (technology) that are in use, users already have a preconceived idea of how to utilise the item. It thus assists in userbility, making it easier for the user to interact with the ‘newer’ item.

Here is a youtube video showcasing the prototype:

References:
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2016/01/belty-good-vibes-smart-belt-ces/
http://www.itproportal.com/2015/01/07/introducing-belty-first-wearable-kind/
http://www.dailydot.com/debug/belty-health-reminders-belt-ces-2016/

 

Necomimi /Device #1

The Necomimi is a wearable device which senses the user’s brainwaves and reacts accordingly. The neko (cat)’s ears, at the top of the band wiggles and changes direction in accordance to the brainwaves sensed.

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How it works (Official Company Statement):

Step 1: Neurons firing in the brain give off electrical impulses, which are picked up by the forehead sensor.

Step 2: The Necomimi headset captures brainwave data, filters out electrical noise from the environment, and interprets it with NeuroSky’s Attention and Meditation algorithms.

Step 3: Your mental state is translated into ear movements and shared with those around you!

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The necomimi adopts a very simple, user-friendly design – ear-like extensions of both sides, and a protruding sensor to sense EEG. The necomimi perches on a user’s head, the same way a headband does.

It is a visual representation of our brainwaves, and like our feline friends who communicates via body language, the necomimi tries to emulate this unspoken communication through the realistic depiction of cat’s ears.

In my opinion, the necomimi is definitely appealing to the common crowd, especially the animal-lovers. Its cute and simple design makes it easily an accessory to your common day wear. However, beyond its novelty, there is little practical use for it.

Perhaps, more additions could be made to it – to increase its user mileage, and interaction between fellow necomimi users, the necomimi could:
– light up when other users are near, prompting the user to interact with fellow neco enthusiasts
– include other sound effects, or changing in colour, ie. more output feedback

 

Credits:
https://www.diygenius.com/hacking-your-brain-waves/

http://support.neurosky.com/kb/necomimi/how-does-necomimi-work-what-do-the-ear-movements-mean

Cat in the Box

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A mini project, where the appearance of the cat is voice-activated. Should the sensor sense a louder volume (input) above a certain threshold, the box lid will open up, revealing the little cardboard kitty (output).

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The kitty’s appearance was aided by servo-motors, activated by a Phidget Interface Kit.

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The Phidget Interface Kit was then plugged to MaxMsp on a laptop, which also served as a microphone to determine the magnitude in volume of the surroundings.

See the kitty in action: