Hasta La Ideas

Dutch fashion designer Pauline van Dongen has created a smart top that vibrates in response to bad posture (+ slideshow).

FysioPal is a shirt designed to correct bad upper-body posture by alerting the wearer when they are slouching.

Dongen worked alongside tactile displays company Elitac to create FysioPal, which contains sensors that pairs with a smartphone app.

Designed to be worn as an undershirt, the top measures the position of the neck, shoulders and back. These measurements are then sent to the app, which visualises the data and assesses the wearer’s overall posture.

If it detects a slouch, the top will softly vibrate, alerting the wearer to change how they are sitting or standing.

The app also provides users with daily training programmes, hourly posture analysis and monthly overall feedback.

“Most of the inspiration for this design came from observing our daily surroundings and listening to people around us on what they like wearing on an everyday basis,” said van Dongen.

“There was a strong focus on picking suitable materials, with the right amount of stretch that could provide comfort but would also fit with the requirements of the electronics.”

The top is designed to be minimal, with clean lines and a simple silhouette. The electronics are laminated into the textiles, made by Swiss company Schoeller.

This eliminates the need for wiring running through the top, allowing it to have a stretch and making it suitable for machine washing.

“FysioPal is able to pave the way for wearable technology to include both functional and aesthetic values,” said the designer.

“Besides the visual aspect of clothes, this project can also show the importance of the felt experience of the garments we wear on a daily basis.”

Van Dongen is known for marrying electronics with fashion. The Arnhem-based designer started exploring the possibilities of incorporating solar panels into clothes in 2013, with a fashion collection that used panels concealed under flaps to turn the wearer into a walking phone charger.

Since then she has created a knitted cardigan that senses how well its wearer is moving, and a long jump suit made from condom material.

Photography is by Wouter le Duc.

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