The Solar Charged Jacket that glows like kryptonite
Company Vollebak
Introduction Date August 7, 2017
Project Website https://www.vollebak.com/product/solar-charged-jacket/
Why is this project worthy of an award?
The Solar Charged Jacket is made from a highly responsive material that can be instantly charged and made to glow in the dark by any light source you can find. It’s a completely new approach to high visibility - rather than relying on reflective panels or batteries to power LEDs, the tech that enables the jacket to glow is embedded in the fabric itself. We made every part of the jacket out of the same material and even created transparent tape to waterproof all the seams so the whole surface can emit light and none of the glow is lost. This is the kind of innovation that usually never makes it out of a development lab. But we’ve used it to create a jacket that performs amazingly out in the real world. It’s part running jacket, part high-tech toy. Whether you’re charging it up underneath a lightbulb, or wearing it out in the sunshine, as soon as you take it somewhere dark it’ll glows like kryptonite. You can write or draw on it with your iPhone torch in a dark room - it’ll start glowing instantly and leave a trail of light. The core tech that enables the jacket to glow is its membrane – an ultra-thin layer housed inside a translucent mesh that keeps rain out and lets sweat escape. Engineered with a phosphorescent compound it rapidly stores any light it comes into contact with and re-emits it slowly over time. The membrane acts as if it’s alive, absorbing sunlight like a plant. And with the phosphorescence engineered into the membrane itself, the tech sits at the very centre of the fabric, so it can’t wash out or rub off. The jacket is constructed with a minimalist approach to design and highly precise engineering, which means it’s both smart enough to wear to the office and high performance enough to wear when you’re off grid. At just 230gm the Solar Charged Jacket is ultra-light and packable. You can use it day or night for any type of sport or adventure to light you up and keep you safe and dry. Whether you’re heading out training in the dark, running an ultra, climbing, riding, or out on the water, it works as a phenomenal lightweight rain jacket, windbreaker, emergency layer or safety device. In daylight the jacket is a subtle light grey. Wear it at night when it’s fully charged and it’ll glow green like kryptonite. The glow is at its brightest immediately after it has been charged, but can remain for up to 12 hours. As the jacket fades back to grey over the next few hours or minutes, depending on its charge, it will go through several phases, fading to a silvery green, then a ghostly white. If you want it to glow brighter at any point you can recharge it, using anything to hand to top it up – a head torch, your car headlights on full beam, even standing near a 60 watt bulb will do it.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
For all our products we work closely with some of the most innovative fabric mills around the world. We’re not Nike with giant R&D labs and budgets. We have to be smarter, move faster and work with partners. When we first saw the material in development we knew our job was to build a completely unique product to take advantage of the awesome tech, and do everything we could to enhance it. Even if you took away this jacket’s ability to store sunlight, you’d still be left with one of the most technologically advanced jackets ever made. That’s because the light-responsive material is also insanely high performance out in nature. It stretches more like a baselayer, keeps you dry, is highly breathable, protects you from headwinds, is so soft and light you can roll it up in your hand, and just happens to be storing and emitting light at the same time. Every square centimetre of the material stretches which makes it perfect for sport. The fastest way to see how much the jacket stretches is to pull it tight over your back – the elasticity is closer to a baselayer than a traditional shell. We’ve also engineered the jacket with articulated sleeves and extra underarm panelling, so that it will never restrict you. The jacket is waterproofed against ocean spray or summer showers, with the same membrane that stores and emits light also there to keep you dry. We finished every seam on the jacket with a specially designed transparent tape so that none of the glow is lost – and the whole surface of the jacket emits light. The jacket is so soft you can comfortably wear it with just a vest or super-light baselayer underneath and it won’t cling or stick to your skin like some lightweight jackets do. Whether it’s on your back or in your bag, it’s light enough to feel like it’s barely there. We’ve laser-cut three air vents under each armpit to provide a little extra airflow when you’re working your hardest. All six vents have welded edges to keep the material intact. The jacket’s rear pocket is built to operate in the simplest way possible. Your phone slides in diagonally to fill almost the whole pocket which means it won’t jump up and down when you’re running, and you can use the adjustments at the hem to lock it down even more. The pocket is fastened with a rubberised lockable zip, so once it’s done up it won’t come undone. The hood and waistband are both fitted with elasticated drawcords that can be pulled tight at high speed. The hem cord is below your left hip and pulls the whole jacket tight below your waist for freezing nights. The drawcord on the hood runs around the centre of your head, and however tightly you pull it, the stretchiness of the fabric and cut of the hood mean that when you turn your head the hood turns with you.
Who worked on the project?
Nick and Steve Tidball - co-founders of Vollebak
View the project video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyzA_EvKBlQ
TYPE 2 e-Crown
Company RESSENCE
Introduction Date January 15, 2018
Project Website https://ressencewatches.com/watches/type-2
Why is this project worthy of an award?
It is the first and only 100% mechanical watch ( self-winding ) that sets itself automatically to the correct time.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
It is the first self-setting mechanical watch - when at the end of its power reserve, and the watch is picked up to put back on the wrist, e-Crown will set the time automatically. It integrates 3 different time-zones. It monitors the time indicated mechanically and adapts it automatically if incorrect. It is self-sufficient in its energy supply ( movement of the wrist and light ). e-Crown works independently from radio, wifi or any other external information - It learns time from the manual setting of the watch. Time can also be set via the e-Crown app for more convenience. the watch is working 100% mechanically. The technology is only focussing on the setting of time.
Who worked on the project?
Benoît Mintiens, Founder Ressence
View the project video: https://youtu.be/fgci4gDibEM
UV Sense
Company fuseproject
Introduction Date January 9, 2018
Project Website https://fuseproject.com/work/loreal/my-uv-patch-and-uv-sense/?focus=overview
Why is this project worthy of an award?
UV Sense is the world’s first, and smallest, battery-free UV wearable. Adhering directly on the user’s thumbnail, UV Sense measures exposure to sun rays over a long period of time, providing up to six months of continuous use. The user simply has to wave their phone over the minute device in order to extract its information and pull it into the corresponding app, which will tell the user how much sun exposure they have had, and how to best protect themselves from overexposure. UV Sense helps us to live better, healthier lives, building routines for ourselves that put us in the sun just the right amount.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
We developed a miniscule UV sensor – a domed based sensor mere millimeters in thickness. The components included a sensor, capacitor, and antenna contained in a drop-like dome. All components are held under this tiny shell. Our challenge was to define how this device would be incorporated on our bodies or peripheral accessories, in order to accurately portray how much time we are spending in the sun, without becoming intrusive or getting lost. For the design of UV Sense, we wanted to celebrate its size and flexibility, balancing discretion with personal style. Subtle patterns laid directly over the outer shell create playful and iconic expressions similar to nail-art, with clear versions for those who prefer simplicity. A miniscule window in the shell allows for light to enter; data collected and stored is then transferred directly to the mobile app through an NFC chip. In addition to the nail, UV Sense can be adhered to just about anything with the help of peripheral accessories we have designed, from our sunglasses to hair pieces to pins. UV Sense is meant to be entirely discreet, fitting seamlessly into our daily lives. Once the user adheres UV Sense on their nail, the user can almost forget about it; like a piece of nail art. However often the user feels to, they can simply wave their phone over the device to activate its NFC chip, which transfers the data to its corresponding app.
Who worked on the project?
Yves Behar - Chief Creative Officer
View the project video:
WAVE Artificial Intelligence Processor
Why is this project worthy of an award?
The WAVE AI is the world’s fastest computer for machine learning. WAVE was founded by a team of the world’s foremost data scientists to meet the exploding needs of AI (artificial intelligence) computing around the globe. Artificial intelligence is the process by which a machine (computer) becomes smarter through its own use — a process called machine learning — which is becoming so integral to our lives, we touch it every day in so many ways: Netflix uses machine learning algorithms to offer suggestions to over 100 million subscribers through its recommendation engine. Spotify uses machine learning to understand what music you like and provide you with recommended playlists. Uber uses machine learning to instantly calculate accurate pickup and arrival times. Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri use machine learning to converse with you and instantly filter through a deep catalog of information. And soon your doctor may rely on machine learning to monitor and quickly interpret your health to spot potential anomalies early on, changing the way we stay healthy. Artificial intelligence applications will only become more integral to our lives, but that can only happen with an innovative physical infrastructure. WAVE set out to design and develop the fastest, most advanced artificial intelligence processor available. WAVE is a powerful box – actually a REALLY powerful box – that uses a unique patented processing architecture called a Data Processing Unit (DPU) that is 4000x faster than a top of the line computer. But we set out to create a design experience that wouldn’t get stuffed in a data closet or backroom. We wanted to create a visual experience that expresses the magic and beauty of data. WAVE is the first AI processor that shows the fluid movement of the machine learning inside – a process called neural networking – shown in vivid animations on a 9” display…as though you can view the kinetic brain of this beautiful process unfold before your eyes. The physical design is also inspired by modern architecture, a tribute to the mathematical precision and art-meets-science philosophy of the artificial intelligence, in physical form. The 4 DPUs (Data Processors) aren’t hidden inside, rather they’re black boxes stacked vertically on the front for a striking, easily accessible format for serviceability and open access. Additionally, the layout, architecture and surface treatments are all specifically designed to keep the machine running as fast and efficient as possible, with cooling features and liquid flow as visual elements of the system.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
The WAVE design and engineering team really went out of our way to balance our ethos of “Beauty and Brains.” Typical machine learning data processors are basic, sheet metal boxes that get hidden in a data closet or backroom. But our device, the fastest in the world and at $60,000 turns the heavy technology inside out, to celebrate the beauty of the technology. We showcase the 4 data processors on the exterior, as modern architectural black boxes that dissipate heat with a beautiful radiant pattern. And the hero of the visual experience is the full color display that animates the actual neural-networking activity as the system is machine learning. WAVE gives the AI world a beautiful experience that compliments the amazing technology within.
Who worked on the project?
Scot Herbst, Will Hunter, Alfredo Muccino, Lee Flanagin, Derek Mayer, Patrick Tufts
View the project video:
