October 5, 2016

Top with tech corrects the wearer’s posture

Filed under: Design,Fashion,Technology by Orangemaster @ 9:20 pm

fysiopal-posture-vest-fashion-technology-pauline-van-gongen-elitac_dezeen_2364_col_4-468x593

Dutch designer Pauline van Dongen, who designed the full solar jacket for Wadden Sea walkers and a few other items, has now introduced the FysioPal undershirt, designed to correct bad upper-body posture by alerting the wearer when they are slouching, which helps correct their posture.

The top, which contains sensors that send information to a smartphone, measures the position of the neck, shoulders and back. The measurements are then sent to an app, which visualises the data and assesses the wearer’s overall posture. If it it detects slouching, the top will softly vibrate, alerting the wearer to change their posture.

It’s the modern-day version of having your parents tell you to stop slouching, but way cooler.

(Link: www.dezeen.com, Photo by paulinevandongen.nl)

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September 15, 2015

Full solar jacket for Wadden Sea walkers

Filed under: Fashion,Nature,Sustainability by Orangemaster @ 9:55 pm

Solar-Parka

Arnhem-based fashion designer Pauline van Dongen has created a parka for workers of the Wadden Sea World Heritage site, an association that has campaigned to protect the coastal area known for its sea walks.

The ‘solar parka’, an oversized jacket with a hood, was created for typical Dutch weather conditions and features detachable solar panels on the pockets for charging your electronics.

A thin waterproof and flexible solar panel created by specialist company AltaDevices is attached to one of the front pockets using buttons, and can generate enough energy to fully charge a smartphone after two hours of exposure to sunlight.

The coat’s fabric was created using yarn made from recycled denim that was unravelled and rewoven to make it more dense.

Van Dongen has also designed the phototrope shirt for running at night and a cardigan that helps with patient rehabilitation.

(Link and photo: www.dezeen.com)

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May 20, 2015

Phototrope shirt for running at night

Filed under: Design,Sports by Orangemaster @ 12:21 pm

Phototrope

Developed based on her own experience running in Amsterdam, which when it’s dark makes you feel like the frog in the old video game Frogger, Dutch designer Pauline van Dongen has created a phototrope shirt using LEDs and foil, designed to improve safety for runners. It is made from technical jersey embedded with washable strips of the low-energy lights and sections of reflective ‘prismatic’ foil material that curve around the body.

Most runners including myself tend to use flashing bicycle lights or bits of clothing with reflective material, but none of it illuminates anywhere near as well or looks as cool as Van Dongen’s garment. She wanted to create a design that felt more like a garment a runner would wear regardless of the safety aspects, as runners need to be comfortable, and dangling lights or bracelets are not the way to go.

The jersey is still a prototype, but I already want one. Find out more about Van Dongen’s ideas with the use of a cardigan that helps with patient rehabilitation.

(Link and photo: www.dezeen.com)

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