Levi Strauss, the alliance has something to surprise. Thought for urban cyclists, the Jacquard project was presented last week at the Google I / 0 2016 conference in Mountain View, California. Sensitive to touch, the reflective fabric of the first jacket connected allows interacting with its Smartphone, without having to take it out.
In 2011, we launched the Commuter Trucker collection. Dedicated to urban cyclists, the line adapts the classics of the house to the specific needs of those pedaling in city dress. Thermal properties, resistance, elasticity, protection and even safety – we have worked on reflective fabrics in the dark, to make cyclists more visible at night – the collection aims to combine design and performance for the benefit of sports. So, because innovation is inherent in the Commuter collection, we thought it was the perfect place to incorporate the Jacquard project.
It allows cyclists to control their Smartphone from a distance. By way of example, the jacket may, by vibration, indicate when the user receives a call or message. The user can program the gesture (tapping, friction) which will activate the desired functions on his telephone. Listening to music, taking a call, launching a GPS, or learning about the buildings you are crossing … all this becomes possible, just by touching your left sleeve. The garment thus becomes a co-driver, avoiding the pedal to let go of the handlebars and divert his attention.
The engineers in charge of the project wanted to create the simplest technology to facilitate its integration by the weaving factories. Thus, they have created a fiber similar to a reflective material, but incorporating wires of conductive metal alloys. This allows you to integrate a tactile interface directly into the fabric. This simplicity of integration is what makes Jacquard’s interest.
Soon, we will develop more diverse interfaces solutions, such as LEDs, hap tic feedback (which allows us to reproduce real touch sensations on a tactile interface) and microphones. APIs will also be introduced to allow manufacturers and developers who wish to see their applications used with our clothes.
Aesthetically speaking, the garment is very successful because it looks to be mistaken for the iconic Levi’s denim jacket. How did you manage to reconcile fashion and technology?
Do not let technology constrain appearance was our main challenge. Fashion and technology must work together, but there is an inherent tension between the two. We wanted the garment to look like any other Levi’s jacket, the technology was as useful as possible and its appearance as discreet as possible.
Another constraint was that the jacket had to go through the machine. For this purpose, it is sufficient to remove the electronic module which covers all the operation of the wearable device before washing the jacket.
The connected fabric will not be reserved for Levi Strauss. Other brands will be able to use it, as they would with any other fabric. More than the technology itself, it is the designers and their apprehensions of the needs of the consumer who dictate the architecture of the product and value the connected clothes. By abandoning the idea of exclusivity, we want to create a creative ecosystem that will benefit everyone, and in particular consumers. We are proud of this technology and look forward to seeing it evolve and expand on a large scale.
A test version of this first connected reflective jacket should be available to developers this fall, before being released in the spring of 2017. No awards have been announced.