MIT prof's self-defense dress

Not much detail on this one, but MIT assistant professor of architecture J. Meejin Yoon has designed a self-defense dress that mimics a porcupine, protecting its wearer from attacks and unwanted advances. The "quills" on the dress are stiff piano wires that are controlled by proximity sensors, although it's not clear if they're actually designed to stick into the attacker or just scare them off.

[adnan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

...and this is obviously going to work really well in subways where people are practically glued together anyway - then again, Ill be the first to sit down with some popcorn to enjoy the show once this thing hits the market

[si @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

just what I need on a busy metro when I go in to work ! excellent

[Matt2 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

This is already out there been out there forever. Its when a guy get s a bonner in oublic everyone runs away

[Adam @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

...which narrowly beat out the infrared actived armadillo skirt suit and the return of the beehive hairdo filled with testorone sensitive drones.

[codeforger @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

I want something like this for my car!!!!

[B @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

As a porcupine fetishist, I couldn't be happier to see this product come to market.

[James Skull @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

and like a porcupine, it leaves the tender underbelly exposed to predetors.

[SamTeigen @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

I think this was featured at Mass MoCA this winter.

[Brass @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

As I said on bookofjoe.com as well: The proliferation of these types of designs (anti-relationship, anti-contact) is disturbing. Why is our society so against physical contact and - for lack of a better descriptor - love? This type of design only propagates the stereotype of violence portrayed in our societies media. Whatever happened to sitting down and having a conversation?

[Adam @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

"Whatever happened to sitting down and having a conversation?"

Oh that still happens, but it's usually accompanied by Stockholm Syndrome.

[Josh @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

Have you guys seen these?

http://www.no-contact.com/

http://www.worthersoriginal.com/index.php?id=wearable_warnings

[tosh fieldsend @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

i saw a variation on this about 12 months ago that a london fashion student had made, it had a furry strip down the back like the porcupine quills and when threatened the wearers "heckles" raised up and static arcs between them, it looked great (as a fashion student designed it) and looked pretty menacing when activated! i think its a slightly better idea than accidentally impaling the person behind you when you stop for directions!