Hydration vest concept combines computational design and human intuition

AI is a hot and messy topic these days, with many vocal people on both sides of the fence. There’s no denying that this technology is challenging many of our long-held traditions and practices, and it will inevitably change the way we do things, for better or for worse. AI is affecting all industries, including ones that you’d least associate with something related to computers, data, and statistics, industries such as art, and, well, design. For all the buzz around it, AI is really just a tool like any other else. It can be used for ill, or it can be used to enhance our quality of life or our effectiveness, as demonstrated by this design concept that combines the computational power of AI with the creativity and judgment of the human mind.

Designer: Tea Vignoli

If you’ve seen impressive yet controversial art produced by AI, it isn’t because artificial intelligence and neural networks suddenly got creative, at least not in the same sense as humans. Those are the results of analyzing hundreds or thousands of sources and applying trial-and-error processes at the speed of milliseconds rather than hours. In other words, AI is great at working with large quantities of data in short amounts of time, something that even the smartest humans pale in comparison.

Aliqua is a design research project that utilizes this strength to create a design that, at the end of the day, benefits the target audience. In this case, it is a hydration vest aimed at medium to long-distance runners that need one to two liters of water for a single run. Of course, this isn’t a new device category, but typical hydration vests have plenty of flaws. The position of the single water bladder is often close to where the body keeps the most heat, letting the water lose its cool quickly. The vests also either bounce a lot or are too tight to be comfortable.

Computational design used data gathered from hundreds of sources to determine the best shapes and locations for the water receptacle and straw to minimize the effect of heat, both from the body and from the environment. The bladders, for example, were separated into two and placed away from the hottest area in the center of the back. It also generated ideas for perforated patterns to make the vest more breathable and comfortable, even when moving around.

Of course, the creative process didn’t end there, and the designer still has to separate good results from unusable ones. Details also have to be added and materials are chosen, so it isn’t as if AI just delivered a final design on a silver platter. More than producing a more efficient and more comfortable hydration vest, this project’s biggest achievement is the creative process that demonstrates the effective use of AI in design while also reaffirming the critical role that humans still need to play in order to produce something usable, elegant, and well-designed.

The post Hydration vest concept combines computational design and human intuition first appeared on Yanko Design.

Quanta Vici jackets and gloves let you choose how warm you want to be

You no longer have to be stuck between hot and cold with this range of fashionable smart thermal clothing that lets you pick your preferred toasty temperature.

You might debate the actual causes, but it’s hard to argue that the weather has been pretty irregular and out of sync in the past years. Seasons extend beyond their normal dates, and temperatures can go to extremes. For those that have to deal with cold weather, be it by force or by recreational choice, the selection of clothing to keep them from freezing to death is wide but shallow. There isn’t much flexibility in how you are able to keep warm, and you’ll mostly have to either pile up more layers or take them off, depending on how you feel. We are living in a smart, tech-centric world, however, so there’s little reason why our winter clothes have to stay that way. Thankfully, someone did finally put two and two together to create a line of thermal clothing that isn’t just smart but also guilt-free.

Designer: Adrien Beyk of Quanta Vici

Click Here to Buy Now: $189 $410 (54% off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left!

Winter wear is mostly designed to trap your own body heat to keep you warm, and that’s pretty much it. If the cold becomes too much to bear, all you can do is wear more layers to the point that you become an immovable pin cushion. You can’t really go anywhere in between, much less opt for a slightly “chill” temperature if you’re the type that likes a tiny bit of cold. Heaters and thermostats can do that for rooms and cars, but not for clothing, at least until now.

Quanta Vici’s new thermal clothing lineup brings that freedom and flexibility to thermal jackets, vests, and gloves. You can actually select on your smartphone how warm you want to feel or how cold you want to be. Better yet, the built-in thermostat from the “Smart” range can automatically do that for you, detecting the temperature inside the clothing in order to maintain that perfect level that you chose.

Although these features may sound geeky, Quanta Vici’s apparel looks anything but. In fact, the jackets and especially the gloves look completely fashionable, something that wouldn’t look out of place on a catwalk. The gloves, in particular, make use of animal-free vegan-friendly leather, so you don’t have to feel guilty about wearing such a luxurious-looking accessory. It’s also friendly to your phone’s touch screen, so you don’t have to worry about freezing your finger off just to use your device.

Both the slim jacket and the vest, which come in different styles for guys and gals, are made from recycled polyester, continuing that theme of sustainability. Even the zippers are recycled, so you can enjoy the warmth that the smart jackets give while also feeling good about your positive impact on the environment. The clothing is washable, but you’ll have to remember to remove the battery first before you do.

The Quanta Vici smart thermal clothing line is exclusive to Kickstarter and starts at $149 for the “base” range, while the “smart” line with the built-in thermostat starts at $179. But with this one-time Kickstarter-exclusive flash sale, you can get any single Smart product, be it the jacket, vest, or glove, for only $159.

Elegant, effective, and environment-friendly, Quanta Vici’s smart heated slim jackets and leather gloves demonstrate the true meaning of wearables without going overboard on the tech.

Click Here to Buy Now: $189 $410 (54% off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left!

The post Quanta Vici jackets and gloves let you choose how warm you want to be first appeared on Yanko Design.

bHaptics’ TactSuit is VR haptic feedback done right

Every now and then, we come across a new attempt to bring haptic feedback to VR, but we've yet to see one that's fully convincing; those that are still around tend to be both pricey and far from ready for the market. Well, this is apparently no longe...

Daryl Dixon’s Vest Replica Arrives Just in Time for Halloween

Well October is here, and while all my daughter can think about is trick-or-treating, all I can think is that this is the month when The Walking Dead finally returns. If you are thinking about both, and still looking for something to dress up as for Halloween, here is a nice, simple costume.

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Feast your eyes on this Daryl Dixon vest replica. It is made from faux leather and has the bloody angel wings on the back, just like the one our favorite arrow shooting badass wears.

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This vest would go perfectly with that Dixon crossbow replica that we talked about before. You can get your vest at ThinkGeek for $69.99(USD). You’ll need to bring your own hog to complete the effect.

The Athletitti Vest Turns You into a Playground for Your Child

If you have kids you know that they will climb all over anything. Furniture, playground equipment, you when you’re trying to watch TV… They are crazy balls of spazzy energy. Well, now you can give them a reason to climb all over you. The Athletitti Vest turns you into a jungle gym for them to climb all over. Really appropriate if your name is Jim.

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The AthleTitti vest was designed by Atsushi Shiraishi at Tama Art University. Now you are no longer just a dad, but a playground. Children will be waiting in line to climb on you. The vest is made of easy-to-grip ropes that provide good hand and footholds for kids and Ewoks alike.

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The idea is to encourage play between kids and adults. It does that job well, but it’s not exactly a fashion accessory. Let’s hope your man-boobs are safe from kids grabbing them to climb, despite it’s unfortunate name.

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[via Laughing Squid]

The Real First Aid

The CORE Patient Recovery Vest is aimed at those workers who come first in contact with accident victims. It is designed to aid them establish triage and prevent medical shock and of course minimize casualties. Integrated sensors in the vest, measures the vitals and keep the patient’s heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature displayed so that it’s easy for the responder to monitor and administer the required aid.

Designer: Christopher Wright

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(The Real First Aid was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Spike Away Vest Preserves Your Personal Space in Public Places

There are days when you want to be with people. There are times when you just want to be alone. So when people overstep boundaries and cross the line into your personal space when you’re in the latter mood, it gets more than just annoying.

Prevent that from happening ever again – at least, in the physical sense – with the Spike Away vest.

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As the name implies, the entire vest is riddled with spikes. It’ll turn heads, but it’ll keep people away because it frankly looks scary and will probably cause a lot of pain if you bump into it head-on. The piece was created by Singapore industrial designer Siew Ming Cheng, who used off the shelf materials, including strips designed to keep pests out of gardens to make the prototype.

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Cheng explained: “Trains are usually crowded during peak hours. Everybody will push each other to try and get onto the train. How can I protect my personal space? The idea was then conceived.”

While the Spike Away is just a one-off concept at this point, Cheng could sell millions of these to daily commuters – especially if the spikes were sharper.

[via C|NET]

‘Drop The Beat’ is a Vest With a Built-In Electronic Drum Kit

Drum Kit Vest

This isn’t the first time someone decided to create a wearable drum set, but this is the first time they actually did it right. Those so-called ‘drum’ shirts are usually novelty items that crank out drum-like sound effects that you usually hear from kids’ toys. Industrial design student Wesley Chau noticed this and set out to create a true musical piece of clothing in the form of ‘Drop the Beat.’

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‘Drop the Beat’ is essentially a vest with movable drum kit pads that the wearer can re-arrange and re-program based on their musical preferences. Chau was inspired by the film Home of the Brave, which features a 1986 concert where experimental musician Laurie Anderson performs a dance that triggers a particular note with every movement.

Chau’s drum kit consists of four neoprene drum pads, each of which has a piezo sensor embedded into it to detect any changes in pressure. The sensors are connected to an Arduino controller that converts each ‘hit’ into a MIDI signal. The signal is then sent to be interpreted on a laptop that’s running Garageband. In short, when the wearer taps, hits, or even just pushes the pads, a sound will be produced.

Check out the clip above to see the vest in action.

VIA [ Gizmag ]

Star Wars Rebel Punk Vest: Lando Calling

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the term “rebel” applied to military officers, royalty with funny headgear and bathrobe-wearing hippies wielding candy-colored glow sticks. Alicia Foley adds some good ol’ Earth punk to the good guys of Star Wars with her bad-ass vest:

star wars rebel scum alliance punk vest by alicia foley

Now that’s a rebel.

[via Nrrrdcakkke via Albotas]