{"id":6520,"date":"2019-10-10T07:26:09","date_gmt":"2019-10-10T07:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gtechbooster.com\/?p=6520"},"modified":"2023-04-01T01:36:48","modified_gmt":"2023-04-01T01:36:48","slug":"project-jacquard-products-launched","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gtechbooster.com\/project-jacquard-products-launched\/","title":{"rendered":"Project Jacquard products launched"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Project Jacquard from Google has finally launched wearables that seem stylish and incorporate technology in an appropriate and practical manner. Your choices are; an Yves St Laurent backpack <\/strong>and range of Levi’s jackets<\/strong> for both men and women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The idea of Project Jacquard, named after the 18th century punch card\n controlled Jacquard loom, is to use conductive thread to create \ngesture-recognizing input patches on clothes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First\u00a0reported in 2015 and going quiet with things, It took until March 2017 for its first product, a Levi’s denim jacket targeted at cyclists, to be demoed. Then there was a further delay before the Trucker jacket, which had originally been scheduled for a Spring 2017 launch, made it to market in September 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/4yXMEJE7jK8\n<\/div>
Meet Project Jacquard<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now a second item incorporating the tech, the Cit-E backpack,\u00a0 has been launched, thanks to Google partnering with Yves St Laurent, and the range of Jacquard enabled Levi’s jacket has been expanded.\u00a0 Could it be that the era of wearable technology and ambient computing, i.e. digital experiences through everyday things around you, as envisaged by Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) team is now beginning?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yves St Laurent backpack<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Jacquard version of the Cit-e Backpack has conductive threads \nwoven directly into the left backpack strap to create a touch-sensitive \ninteractive textile. Using gesture, wearers can control their music and \ncapture moments on the go by dropping pins and taking pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the case of the jackets, now not only the Trucker priced at $198) but also\u00a0\u00a0a cold-weather stablemate, the Sherpa costing $248, it is the left sleeve cuff which responds to touch, as shown in this video which showcases its capabilities:\u00a0<\/p>

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Jackquard enabled Levi Jacket<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

According to the ATAP team, writing on Google’s blog The Keyword:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The central piece of the updated Jacquard platform is our new Jacquard Tag\u2014which is smaller than a stick of gum and has a battery life of up to two weeks, and which makes Jacquard technology even more unobtrusive in these new connected products. The tag connects to our newly re-designed Jacquard app and allows you to personalize your Jacquard-enabled wardrobe to do what you would like it to do.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Jackquard Tag<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The blog post also summarizes the various Jacquard abilities. \nProbably the most useful is its Always Together alerts that make sure \nyou don’t leave your Jacquard item behind, after all anyone would be \nupset at losing a $995 backpack. When your phone and your Jacquard item \nare separated, you’ll get an alert on your phone and your Jacquard item \nwill light up and vibrate. You can view your Jacquard item’s last known \nlocation from the Jacquard app home screen. Other abilities are music \ncontrol, navigation and alerts. As well as the new Camera ability,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacquard was recently updated with new Google Assistant features. \nThese include \u201cMy Day,\u201d which lets you get current updates on traffic, \nlocal weather, news and more. You can create your own Jacquard ability \nwith \u201cAsk Assistant\u201d. So if you use Google Assistant to control your \nsmart home, get updates on the latest basketball score or check what \nyour commute looks like before you head out you can program Jacquard to \ndo all this with a simple gesture to be performed on your sleeve or the \nstrap of your backpack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can certainly see the usefulness of switching on or off interior lights with wearables. It will be interesting to see if Jacquard by Google remains the preserve of elite labels or finds its way into mass market wares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other downside is that, at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be \nanyway for “makers” or programmers to get involved. The Jacquard tag and\n the conductive yarn it works with are proprietary and the range of \nsmartphones they work with is also limited. This is a shame for \ndevelopers and perhaps even a missed opportunity for Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n