Design studio develops new shape-shifting materials

April 4, 2017  |  Out There

Universal Everything has developed a series of short, pasted-hued films, each featuring a different product idea that the studio describes as “emerging technologies of flexible displays, shape-shifting materials and context-aware functionality.” The films have been used on plates that can displa…
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Running on the red planet

March 24, 2017  |  Out There

Y-3 has the answer for people wondering what they’ll wear on their feet the next time they land on Mars. Designer Clement Fernandes has come up with a solution to the 21st-century problem, creating a pair of Y-3 SpaceX concept shoes specifically designed for running on the Red Planet. The shoe use…
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New from StretchSense: ‘underwearables’

March 10, 2017  |  Out There

StretchSense has announced its latest sensor designed specifically for tight-fitting undergarments like compression clothing or underwear. Sensors in garments worn very close to the body promise to give repeatable and more precise data about the user’s breathing; steps walked or distance run;…
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Thermal conductivity + elasticity = “thubber”

February 24, 2017  |  Out There

Carmel Majidi and Jonathan Malen of Carnegie Mellon University have developed a thermally conductive rubber material that they’ve nicknamed “thubber.” According to information provided by the Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering, the new material is an electrically insulati…
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Smart phone app helps design a custom dress

February 10, 2017  |  Out There

The H&M-backed Swedish fashion house Ivyrevel has teamed up with Google and MediaMonks to create a personalized garment based on data gathered by a smartphone app. Ivyrevel calls the technology “Coded Couture.” The company says it works on the philosophy that fashion and technology go hand-i…
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Interactive jacket designed for connecting

January 6, 2017  |  Out There

Design entrepreneur Henk-Jan Room has created an interactive jacket that’s meant to promote more meaningful human connections. The jacket connects to a smart phone and to social media via an app. The wearer can select preferences with the app, and based on these choices, the jacket communicates th…
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‘Luma’ pendant is a fuzzy fiber-optic light ball

December 19, 2016  |  Out There

For artists Kevin Siwoff and Lisa Park, light is a material that can be pulled apart, strand by strand. In their latest collaboration, the two have created the “Luma” pendant—a sculpture that emits a calming and dreamlike light through thousands of fiber optic hairs. Siwoff and Park’s work…
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Customizable wearable technology introduced

November 18, 2016  |  Out There

Xenoma Inc. wants to make wearable technology more available to the general consumer. The company’s “e-skin” is a platform-based solution for wearable electronics apparel where the number, type and location of sensors can be fully customizable. A spin-off company from the University of Tokyo, …
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K-PAK boat goes where you carry it

November 4, 2016  |  Out There

If the idea of storing and hauling a boat has prevented you from enjoying time on the water, a company in North Carolina offers a practical solution: a folding boat. The K-PAK from Folding Boat Co. is a portable, strong and lightweight foldable boat that can easily fit in the trunk of a car to &hell…
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Wearable alcohol sensor developed

October 21, 2016  |  Out There

Engineers at the University of Calif.-San Diego have developed a flexible, wearable sensor that can accurately measure a person’s blood alcohol level from sweat and transmit the data wirelessly to a laptop, smartphone or other mobile device. The device, worn on the skin, could be used by doctors a…
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