Napz is a biohacking device that lets you control your dreams

---

This wearable mask wants to make lucid dreams accessible to everyone. 

---

For many of us, getting a full night’s of shut-eye is quite the challenge. Between stress, late nights at the office, the kids or simply finding yourself unable to doze off makes getting the desired six to eight hours of sleep nearly impossible. But what if there was a wearable device that could help you get the most of out your limited time catching z’s?

That’s the idea behind Napz — an electronic, biohacking sleep mask designed to not only help you hit the hay but to induce a state of lucid dreams as well. This is the state where sleepers are aware that they are, in fact, dreaming and can control many elements of what happens during their nocturnal experience.

Developed by COCOLAB robotic engineer Octavio Martinez García, the prototype is meant to measure REM using LED lights that shine through the eyelids to stimulate you and bring you to the brink of consciousness where you can actually become mindful of the actions in your sleep. The wearable itself is comprised of infrared sensors, Adafruit NePixels and an Arduino Lilypad (ATmega328) for its brain.

“Napz is a wearable device intended to schedule lucid dreams and thus produce actual rest and better patterns of REM sleep. Its interface allows the programming, design, and analysis of dreams. As everybody is different the device needs to be calibrated to each individual,” Garcia explains.

Dream manipulation is a method commonly used to assist those who suffer insomnia, severe nightmares, PTSD and other sleep disorders. The idea is that, with Napz, users will be able to access controlled dreams much quicker and without the many hours of training typically required.

Napz was recently showcased at V&A’s Digital Design Weekend.

[Images: British Council Creative Economy]

Arduino-powered nail art is now a thing

---

These embedded nail extensions can help someone with behavior modification and programmed reminders.

---

“Getting your nails done” once was a ritual that determined a person’s social status, which through the years has evolved into a form of expression and aesthetic enhancement. Today, a vast majority of women go to the salon every few weeks or so to change their nail design. And that’s not all that has changed, the options available have grown quite extensively, not just in terms of colors but materials as well. But it looks like acrylics and gel overlays are so 2014.

That’s because Jenny Rodenhouse and Kristina Ortega have discovered that these temporary extensions make for an interesting canvas to tinker with tiny electronics. Combining the context of salon culture with the popularity of nail art, the Maker duo designed a set of touch augmentation nail extensions and a next-generational sensor parlor to go along with it.

The aptly named Sensor Salon is a project that proposes a new service model for the making and customizing of wearable devices. Inspired by the nail culture, manicure process and DIY lab business models, both Rodenhouse and Ortega imagine a physical sensor shop that allows patrons to explore new services that support the growing population of body-adorned technology. People will be given the ability to personalize and modify their wearables as they please, from how it behaves to how it appears, with the help of trained technicians. Ideally, this hypothetical pop-up shop would feature a manicurist, a designer and a development team to handle the coding of the sensors.

Customized interactions and personalized behaviors embedded onto the nail can take on complex roles depending on the needs of the user and the expertise of the salon’s staff. Not to mention, 10 different fingers means 10 different possibilities!

These sensor-laden attachments will be capable of providing biofeedback, monitoring health and fitness, assisting with behavior modification and performing programmed reminders, among various other use cases. For example, these add-ons can buzz the fingertip of a smoker trying to kick the habit each time they reach for a cigarette. This would be achieved using two XBee modules — one placed on the pack of cigarettes, another attached to the user. If the two microcontrollers come within a predefined distance of each other, the wearer would then receive instant vibration feedback to their nailbed.

Throughout the process, the creators experimented with various forms and sensors using an Arduino Uno (ATmega328). Based on their prototypes, Rodenhouse and Ortega finally arrived at five different extensions capable of augmenting a person’s touch and behavior. These included the combinations of an LED and piezo buzzer, a flex sensor and vibration motor, an Xbee/distance sensor and vibration motor, an Xbee/distance sensor and audio module, as well as video and audio modules.

As you would expect, the pair has already received some unique requests. So far, they have incorporated flex sensors and 3D-printed breadboards shaped like cats with LEDs and a nano pixel embedded into the designs. The idea for the project was originally conceived out of an Art Center’s Media Design Practices course called Wearable Ecologies, which examined the possibilities and challenges of wearables.

Interested? Head over to the Sensor Salon’s official page to learn more, or just watch the video below!

TailTalk is the world’s first dog emotion sensor

---

TailTalk is a smart device that helps you understand your dog’s complex tail language.

---

Dogs, by nature, are very expressive animals. Like humans, they communicate when they’re feeling happy, sad, nervous, angry, and of course, hungry. Instead of spoken words, our beloved four-legged friends use their tails to convey much of this information — a nonverbal language that can be quite complex and difficult to recognize for most pet owners. But what if there was a smart wearable that could collate this information and translate it in such a way that makes it much easier to understand? In comes TailTalk. 

The brainchild of Yannis Tsampalis and Mike Karp, TailTalk is a tiny, sensor-laden device that comfortably goes around your pup’s tail to capture movement with its embedded accelerometer and gyroscope, and then employs a proprietary algorithm to convert the wagging into the emotion that he or she is expressing.

The lightweight, unobtrusive gadget connects to its accompanying DogStar app over Bluetooth, providing you with a simple, user-friendly dashboard that lets you into the mind of good ol’ Fido even when you’re not around. This consists of your dog’s profile, along with their happiness score, upcoming events and favorite canine pals.

Using the app, you can log and graph their activity, manage their schedules, set reminders for yourself, and even add notes related to a particular event. More importantly, the “emotion sensor” will notify an owner’s smartphone when the dog’s tail moves right, which means they’re happy or energetic, or left, denoting anxious or aggressive feelings. TailTalk boasts a six-month battery life and has been designed to withstand the wear and tear (and chewing) that’s expected with everyday use.

Throughout their journey from the MakerSpace to MarketPlace, the DogStar Life crew has developed their prototype using the highly popular Arduino platform and has already been the recipient of some pawesome awards. Looking ahead, the New York-based startup is hoping to storm past its $100,000 pledge goal on Indiegogo.

Ready for a next-gen, Look Who’s Talking Now-like device that’s take the guesswork out of your daily interaction with Rover? Head over to TailTalk’s crowdfunding page. Delivery is slated for May 2016.

This glove can translate sign language into text and audio

---

Maker designs a smart glove that translates sign language from hand gestures into visual text on a screen and audible dialog.

---

In an effort to improve communication between people with different disabilities, designer Hadeel Ayoub has developed a smart glove capable of converting sign language into readable text and audio.

The aptly named SignLanguageGlove works by using several flex sensors attached to the fingers that record their position, while an accelerometer​ detects which way the glove is oriented. Built around the mighty Arduino, all of the collected data is fed into a computer program that identifies the gestures and displays the correct output.

Ayoub, who is also a student at Goldsmiths, University of London, has gone through a series of prototypes with each version less clunky than the one before. The original model, which looked like a bunch of wires attached to a winter glove, consisted of five flex sensors, an Arduino board and a four digit graphic numerical display. It worked by interpreting the user’s gestures and translating them into visual letters on a screen.

The second iteration was a bit faster, more durable, and featured smaller hardware. The Maker incorporated a LilyPad Arduino (ATmega328) and tinier flex sensors, as well as revamped the software to allow text to scroll on a screen, deleting the old and adding the new.

Her latest piece incorporates a text-to-speech chip with the majority of equipment sewn into the lining of what appears to be a Rawlings batting glove. She is currently working towards integrating a language translation function into the system, too. This way, when finished with her next prototype (dubbed ​Reach All​), a user will be able to connect to a smartphone via an embedded Wi-Fi module. The motions will then be relayed wirelessly and translated in real-time through its accompanying app.

Pretty amazing stuff, right? You can head over to the Maker’s Tumblr page to see the progression of her work.

Unique can turn any watch into a smartwatch

---

This strap discretely adds smart features to any ‘dumb’ watch.

---

Smartwatches are pretty useful — but despite advancements in technology, a lot of us still value the look and feel of a traditional or classic timepiece. If you wish you could keep your Rolex watch yet also have some of today’s connected features, the makers of Unique have good news for you.

The brainchild of Polish startup uBirds, Unique is a luxury, handmade strap that replaces your watch’s original strap and transforms it into a smartwatch. It gives you the best of both worlds — the look of your favorite wrist-worn accessory with all the capabilities of modern-day devices.

Hidden in the strap lies a discreet multi-color LED, vibration alerts and gesture recognition, allowing you to receive notifications, reject calls, send pre-written texts, monitor your fitness, store your passes and even be reminded if you leave your phone behind. On top of all that, it can all be customized to a wearer’s liking.

With cutting edge technology, Unique integrates electronic components into the strap so the functions aren’t visible on the strap itself. What’s nice is that the unit still fits nicely with any conventional timepiece, meaning any treasured heirloom or precision chronograph can be turned into an IoT-friendly gadget. Leveraging gesture recognition, users can now control their phone directly from the strap, as well as integrate near field communication.

Once connected via Bluetooth, users can configure their strap’s capabilities and displayed information using its accompanying app. According to its creators, this includes everything from programming the NFC tag with your business card, hotel room key or gym membership to tracking fitness goals and counting calories with every step.

As for battery power, Unique can run for two to three days with frequent use. Charging is simple, too — just give the watch strap a boost using its included wireless inductive charger. Interested? Then it’s ‘time’ to check out their Kickstarter page, where they are currently seeking $50,000. Delivery is slated for sometime in April 2016.

This wearable device lets you touch your virtual reality world

---

UnlimitedHand is the world’s first video game controller with newly-developed haptic feedback technology.

---

It’s safe to say that virtual reality has grown leaps and bounds in recent years; however, despite these advancements, one thing that has been lacking was an interface that actually let you ’touch’ the VR world. This is exactly what one Tokyo-based startup set out to develop.

The team over at H2L has created what they’re calling the world’s first video game controller that enables you to feel things as if they existed in your real environment. UnlimitedHand is essentially a haptic sensor that goes around your arm and syncs with your hand to interact with onscreen objects.

Through Bluetooth, the wearable contraption delivers your finger and arm movements to the game while receiving data back that is felt in the form of haptic feedback. In other words, you will be able to grab, push, throw, hit and manipulate your digital surroundings as if you were really there.

The device, which straps around your forearm like an Ace bandage, is equipped with a muscle sensor, a 3D motion sensor, a multi-channel electronic muscle stimulator (EMS) and a vibration motor. The embedded motion and muscle sensors are tasked with recognizing user input, just like any other haptic gadget. UnlimitedHand then stimulates your muscles through EMS, controlling your fingers and hands while mirroring what’s happening in the game. By integrating this technology into the accessory, you will be able to ‘feel’ whatever your character experiences.

What will surely be appealing to developers, UnlimitedHand has made it easy to integrate with existing games through Unity plug-ins. Furthermore, its circuit is also Arduino-compatible, allowing Makers to hack it for a wide range of other applications. Whether it’s feeling the strings of a virtual guitar as it’s being played or commanding a robotic arm, the possibilities are endless. Intrigued? Head over to its Kickstarter campaign, which has already garnered well over its asking goal of $20,000. Units are expected to begin shipping in March 2016

The OwnWatch is a Arduino-compatible smartwatch

---

Maker creates a fully hackable, Arduino-compatible smartwatch based on the Atmel | SMART SAM D21. 

---

Moritz Wenzel has emerged once again, this time with the latest iteration of his Arduino-compatible, software and hardware expandable DIY smartwatch. An upgrade of his earlier device, Tardis, the OwnWatch is completely hackable and enables Makers to connect their Arduino projects with both the wearable itself along with its paired smartphone via Bluetooth.

“Currently, every company on the market [has] built their own smartwatch, nice small devices that makes your life a little bit easier and more comfortable. But for a Maker, a hacker, a hobbyist or a nerd who loves hackable devices and creating own projects, these ‘boring’ smartwatches are no real alternative,” Wenzel explains.

For the OwnWatch, the Maker improved upon Tardis’ original housing and its hardware, most notably by replacing its ATmega32U4 core with an Atmel | SMART SAM D21 Cortex-M0+ MCU and providing additional BLE support thanks to a new dual mode Bluetooth module. Aside from that, the wearable is packed with a plethora of sensors, including a gyroscope and accelerometer, three temperature sensors, a pressure sensor and an ambient light sensor.

Meanwhile, power is supplied by a 180mAh LiPo battery, and audio can be emitted through its built-in speaker or a set of headphones. OwnWatch is equipped with two tactile buttons that allow a wearer to navigate through the main menu and switch between various functions like the time, calculator, image viewer and settings, as well as return to the home screen. A pair of programmable indicator LEDs can also be found on its frontside.

Intrigued? Follow along with the Maker’s progress on his project page here.

Salto is a wearable suit that captures your every move

---

On a mission to democratize motion capture technology, one Danish startup has crammed an entire studio into a wireless suit. 

---

As its name would suggest, motion capture refers to the process of recording the movement of objects or people. This technique is commonly used throughout the military, entertainment, sports and medical industries, as well as for robotics and validation of computer vision. However, its price and required expertise has kept the technology out of reach for most people. With aspirations of democratizing it, Copenhagen-based startup Rokoko Electronics has developed a sensor-laden, plug-and-play suit that can be used in a wide range of applications that extend well beyond virtual reality.

The wireless motion-capturing garment, called Salto, is embedded with 19 sensors along with a central hub. A glove-like extension for the hands is also available, which is comprised of an extra seven sensors that pair with the textile suit for additional interaction and finger tracking capabilities.

As mentioned before, VR support is only one of its many intended uses; in fact, the suit is designed to be intuitive, simple-to-wear, and most importantly, accessible so that anyone can start working with motion capture technology. The idea is that, if you know how to put on your clothes, you will be able to use Salto. To date, the wearable has been employed by everyone from film producers looking to test characters and scenes, to golfers and tennis players wanting to track and improve their game.

Here’s how it works: 19 sensor nodes are attached directly to the suit, strategically placed over all moving body parts. Data from each sensor is collected by the hub and transmitted via Wi-Fi or cable to your computer. Using the Salto Studio program, data can be easily streamed, recorded, played back and exported to another device. What’s nice is that Salto can be seamlessly integrated with third party applications as well, like Unity, Oculus, Samsung Gear and MotionBuilder, which ideally will allow people to engage in all kinds of virtual spaces.

“With our mocap suit Salto you get all the unique features in your body — the way you look when you take a deep breath, the way you articulate with your arms when you talk, etc. — all of these details accurately transferred to the virtual world,” the Danish startup writes.

In terms of hardware, each node is equipped with a 9-axis IMU board and an Atmel | SMART MCU for calibration and data processing. Looking ahead, the team says that it will make an SDK and an assortment software plugins available for developers. This SDK will contain all of the necessary code and libraries to get an app up and running with the C#, C++, Java and Python programming languages. Beyond that, the software plugins are compatible with many third party services.

“The virtual reality experience is not going to be complete with just the visual side. You absolutely need to have an input and output system that is fully integrated, so you not only have a really natural way to view the virtual world but also a natural way to interact with it,” its creators explain.

Interested? Head over to its Kickstarter campaign, where Rokoko Electronics is currently seeking $100,000. Delivery is slated for April 2016.

Talon is a smart ring for gaming

---

Talon is a smart ring that allows you to play games and control apps with simple gestures.

---

25 years ago, Nintendo unveiled the Power Glove. While the wearable accessory never lived up to its hype, one San Jose startup has developed something a bit less bulky and much more intuitive: a controller in the form of a smart ring.

No more than four millimeters thick, Titanium Falcon’s Talon is equipped with a 32-bit MCU at its core, a nine-axis motion sensor and connects to all smart devices over Bluetooth. When paired with a gaming console, computer, smart TV or mobile device, the wearable is able to convert a player’s finger gestures into actual commands. This can range from steering an invisible wheel for racing games, swinging an imaginary racquet for a Wii-like tennis match, or waving through a main menu in an application.

“Utilizing a real-time three-dimensional space, the Talon simply outperforms the on-screen two-dimensional controller and allows users to use quick and easy waves and gestures to control the application,” its creators explain.

Talon provides a hands-free user experience like no other, enabling wearers to play games from just about anywhere and on-the-go. What’s more, the ring is equipped with two action buttons (similar to the AB buttons found on more traditional consoles) that provide additional control options, such as jumping, firing and what not. Aside from using motion for input, the latest prototype boasts a battery life of around 12 hours before needing to be recharged.

While this may not be first so-called smart ring we’ve come across, it’s pretty awesome nevertheless. Not only is it sleek and stylish, its inner portion of is fitted with soft skin-feel silicone gels that makes for a comfortable yet snug fit. Once available, Talon will come in four different sizes (small, medium, large and extra large). Until then, head over to its Indiegogo page to learn more. Delivery is slated for June 2016.

C-way is a plug and play wearable for kids

---

C-way is a GPS wearable that allows kids to have fun and parents to check their whereabouts.

---

It’s tough being a parent these days — a glimpse of the news makes that abundantly clear. Parents have the responsibility of protecting their children, but it often requires a fine balance. Kids also need their space in order to develop their independence and to experience their childhood.

Luckily, C-way is a device that can help with balancing these two challenges. The stylish wearable allows kids to enjoy themselves with various add-on modules. The product is geared towards children, providing a plug and play concept that enables 3-6 year olds to personalize their gadget with LEGO figurines along with games like hide and seek. As for the 8-10 year old crowd, the device becomes a bit more advanced as it displays icons, text messages and even the time.

Not only does C-way function as a wristband, watch, compass, scheduler and entertainment console, its GPS locator feature lets parents monitor their children’s location and the approximate distance between them using its accompanying mobile app. You can even keep tabs on up to three kids at once! What’s more, should the wearable ever be removed, an alert will be immediately sent with their last whereabouts.

Upon opening the unit, simply scan the QR code with your smartphone to directly link the two. As its creators reveal, “No need to enter any number, IMEI, or phone number. No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth pairing needed.”

In terms of hardware, the C-way is equipped with a GPS and GSM antenna, a GPS locator, a SIM card and a 330mAh lithium-ion battery with a lifespan of about a day. Meanwhile, its watch add-on sports an 128 x64-pixel LCD screen and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity.

Interested? Head over to C-way’s Kickstarter campaign, where the team is currently seeking $111,638. Delivery is slated for February 2016.