Final Project Ideas
This past week I have had an ongoing dilemma: Do I develope an existing idea or work on something entirely new, for my wearable technology final project? Two existing projects that I would like to continue working on are as follows:
-Friendship Bags ~ Which are handbags with embedded LEDs that light up when their "other half" is in close range. I used arduino microcontrollers and XBee radios to create this effect. They worked well when I initially developed them; the only issue being how many wires were used. If I continued to work on this project, I would want all curcuits to be soft. http://mandyphyscomp.blogspot.com
-Sneakers to Assist Those with Neuropathy ~ Neuropathy is a condition in which the nervous system is affected. It is a common side effect for chemotherapy patients, and can cause numbness and tingling in the toes and feet. With the help of these sneakers, the user will be able to see where their weight is shifting. LED strips will light up to designate where pressure is being applied on the sneaker, and their level of brightness will designate the amount of force that is being exerted. This will assist users when going up and down the stairs, and for walking in general. This sneaker could also be used for athletes that want to improve their footwork. It will ideally look like this:
My new idea incorporates the wireless technology from my friendship bags, but creates a much more interactive environment. I would like to create a Game of Tag for Athletes. The idea stemmed from thinking back to my days of playing lacrosse, and staring at the gym clock during our cardio workouts. Running was never one of my favorite parts of playing a sport, but it is absolutely a necessity. A popular cardio workout we had, was a "game," and I am using this term loosely, in which we gathered into groups of six. We would all "follow the leader" at the front of the line, and all run in a single file. The person at the end of the line would sprint forward, until they had run in front of the leader. This would continue on for about thirty minutes or so, and needless to say was very boring at times.
To reinvent this game, I would to create a game of tag using a flag to denote the person that is "it." All players will wear jerseys, that the flag can stick to. Once the flag has been attached to a jersey, the player's jersey will light up and a whistle will blow, to designate who the "it" person is, and that the "it" person has changed. Of course there would have to be a set of rules. A few that I have thought of are as follows:
-All players would need to run in a constrained area. (i.e. A gymnasium, so that people are around to tag.)
-All players need to constantly run, even if they are not "it" and are not being chased.
-You cannot tag the person that has just tagged you. (To prevent you from ripping the flag off quickly and putting it back on the person that just tagged you.)
There are some basics that I need to sort out:
-What kind of wireless device would be suitable. I currently know how to use an arduino that can be linked to an XBee radio, but I recently found out that arduino has come our with a model with bluetooth capabilities. http://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardBluetooth
-What fabric will I use? If I use conductive velcro for the flag to be attached to the jersey, will the entire jersey have to be velcro or does velcro stick to other fabrics?
-How will I construct the jerseys so that they can be easily washed?
-How can I use this technology without hindering the activity of the athlete?
I found a project by Rob Seward, an ITP alumnus, that created a game of tag with an LED matrix. http://stage.itp.nyu.edu/~rus200/blog/archives/2005/05/tag_documentati_1.html