Embrace "interactive bracelet" concept includes LCD display, Bluetooth, camera
posted November 10th 2005 9:00PM
The Embrace interactive bracelet doesn't exist yet, but it already has a fan base, thanks to the fact that the
designer had the foresight to blog the entire creative process. The bracelet, a concept developed by student Lisa
Thomas, "has an alternating rhythmic form that enables it to nest within its matching reversed form." Too esoteric?
Yeah, well, it's basically a bracelet with a thin LCD display, tiny digital camera and embedded Bluetooth, that can be
hooked to other bracelets, allowing wearers to "share experiences." More interesting than the actual bracelet, however,
is the whole creative process, which includes everything from focus groups to storyboarding to mockups. Will it ever be
manufactured? Probably not in the near future, but we'd be happy to check it out once there's a working
prototype.
[Via Information Aesthetics]
This is useless...
*1 comment*
Agreed!
It isn't necessarily *that* useless. I imagine that there would be lots of people who'd want to have this kind of thing. A mini camera that you have with you all the time with the ability to instantly share pictures with others in almost an instant? I imagine the tweeners would love this.
My only observation for the moment is the slightly flawed design. Only unless the bracelet "backbone" was made out of some type of ultra-thin but durable (and sturdy) material, this thing could break very easily. And as many bracelets go, this could fall on the floor (or somewhere) alot.
number 1 and 2... I agree, your comments ARE useless.
Perfect example of a solution without a real problem, created by people who don't get it. I ranted about it on my (neglected) electronics design weblog a while back. It seems a litte immature to me now, but maybe someone will think it is funny:
http://delta-sigma.blogspot.com/2005/08/you-make-crap.html
This sort of thing could easily be the next teen fashion statement, once it's out. That's pretty much all it could be though.
Brian
This is useless...
I've always thought that the best real estate on our body was the fore-arm. I'm pretty positive that someone will soon be developing a wireless pda like device that is sort of a wide bracelet with a decent screen. Its fairly flat on the upper arm, it could be made to look pretty cool, and the its easily accessible.
THese guys are on the right track, just not big enough vision it seems to me.
They've got the right idea, this is where we are heading...
http://www.tomontheweb.ca/Streaming/Class_10/Image3.jpg
If you could customise the colours on the bracelet it may well appeal as a fashion accessory especially if it had an attractive price.
Maybe another dumb idea but if it could be made cheap, it could be a teen or club scene accsesory, to be used for bluetooth dating.
But anyway, i guess its great for teens, but useluss in the real world.
make the screen bigger, make the camera a megapixel one with flash/light, make the whole thing able to talk to my phone so that it can display messages, numbers and names of those calling and so on and im interested.
basicly make it a watch able to act as a secondary control unit of my mobile without having to be the same brand as my mobile.
then with that "watch", a bluetooth hands-free and a bluetooth enabled phone and i dont have to take it out of the pocket to check messages and answer calls.
hell, with the camera in place i can even take photos without without the need to take the phone out. only problem is that the camera "lens" should be on the other side of the arm so that i can use the screen as a viewfinder.
I think it could be great for people with deseases and to inform doctors of bloodtype, familiars phones and other things.
Thats the sort of thing I would get battered if I made on my product design course. Where is the real need. These funtionalities exist in most mobile phones and how many use them?
Design should be user centric!
its well supported in research and such, but man that thing is uggllyyy... it looks uncomfortable and hard to use... they shouldn't have stuck with that form...
I agree with #1, #2, #4, and #7