Book by nicole hu

BEwear Nicole Hu

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Intel Building

Dedication Thank you to Freestyle Academy for providing the tools that made this project possible as well as constant assistance and support. I would also like to thank my interviewees, my friends and family, and my classmates. Special thanks to my friend Jessica Dally for constantly helping me with this project by offering peer review and an abundance of moral support (even until as late as 3 am).

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Preface pg. 7 Introduction pg. 9 Chapter 2 pg. 14 Chapter 1 pg. 10

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Contents

Conclusion pg. 23 Works Cited pg. 24 Chapter 3 pg. 18

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Preface

Initially, I sought to write a book about where art can be seen in the STEM world because as an art student who also takes interest in the STEM fields, I wanted to research more about where the two worlds met. However, as I was doing my research I came to find that these two worlds don’t exist. They are all one world. Art and technology are the same world and can be seen together in almost aspect of modern life. Seeing as this topic was too broad, I was overwhelmed by the many directions and angles I could take on the subject. I then decided that it would be in my best interest to pick a more specific topic, even though we were already halfway through the unit.

The inspiration to focus my documentary on wearables came from my first interview with Sandra Lopez. During our interview, we talked about fashion and technology, the butterfly dress, and jacket pockets that charge iphones. I realized that this was a topic I was really interested in knowing more about, and that it related to one of my biggest interests and possible future career routes: fashion. Although it was really difficult to catch up with the production process because of my late restart, it was still interesting work because of my love for fashion. Additionally, wearable technology is widely popular, and I think it’s important to keep up with the changes it has brought to contemporary media and culture.

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“If you break down fashion and the entire ecosystem, every aspect has technology.�

- Sandra Lopez, VP of Sports and Fashion at Intel

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Introduction

Glasses, watches, hat, shirts, pants, underwear. Can you guess what these have in common?

Besides the obvious, they are all accessories or items of clothing – what else is there?

These items are no longer just clothing. They are being transformed technologically, and these transformations are happening rapidly. So rapidly that it’s hard to keep up with them, but to me that only makes the topic more interesting.

Walking down a street in Silicon Valley, my home as well as the home to many of the biggest start-up and global technology companies, wearable technology can be seen so commonly that we often go by without even noticing it. The woman taking her morning jog with a fitbit around her wrist, the businessman organizing meetings on the go with his jawbone bluetooth headset, and the teenager texting their friends with their new apple watch.

While some people might be apprehensive about the changes that wearable technology are bringing to our society, wearables offer a lot of convenient, productive, and creative ways of doing things. In addition, there is still so much to learn about where we can take this new wave of wearable technology.

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Chapter 1

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F

irst things first, I think it would be helpful to define what a wearable gadget, or wearable technology is. Wearable technology is a class of technology devices that can be worn on the body as an implant or an accessory. Many provide practical functions or features commonly related to communication, health, fitness, or research.

Wearables can come in any form of clothing or accessory, and they can have a multitude of different abilities. Some have visual applications, while others have more practical applications.

In terms of practical applications, one of the most popular wearable gadget these 11

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Fitbit

days is the smart watch. I am sure this device is familiar to many people, but for those who don’t know, smart watches aren’t just like any classical watch. Aside from telling time, they can also be used to track health, send texts and emails, record audio, provide navigation, take photographs, and more. Recently, smart watches are being seen more and more often in the workplace because of their efficiency in improving productivity and providing a means of convenient communication. According the Kantar Wearable Technology report, it is estimated that “twelve percent of U.S. consumers own a fitness band or smartwatch of some kind”.

This number is expected to increase as more people become accustomed to wearable technology.

In addition to the smartwatch, medical wearables are some of the most common technology accessories. While smartwatches do provide some health related application such as measuring heart rate or blood pressure, there are still many limits that have not yet been overcome, but they are currently being developed. One example of a wearable made for medical purposes is the HealthPatch MD. Made by Vital Connect, a Silicon Valley healthcare technology company, the HealthPatch MD is a biosensor

that is somewhat like a bionic Band-Aid worn usually on the chest. Some of its capabilities include, but are not limited to measuring and tracking patient’s heart rate, respiratory rate, skin temperature, sleep cycle, and body posture. This device allows detailed data and reports of

“Twelve percent of U.S. consumers own a fitness band or smartwatch of some kind.”

- Kantar Wearable Technology troubling signals to be sent as an instant notification to doctors or researchers. It is also convenient for patients, as bulky equipment is replaced by the small patch.

Another common health application for wearable technology is in sports. In an interview with a school

dance teacher, Lauren Kato, we talked about health related technology in dance.

She mentioned “an injury prevention technology used for dance where they put sensors all over your body and do things like a pirouette (a type of turn) or a tour jete (a turning leap) and they can calculate the angles and the torque to figure out why an injury is happening”. This lead me to learn about the xPatch, a device created

by Seattle based company X2 Biosystems.

Through the xPatch, the force and angles of impact to an athlete’s head is recorded by sensors during a match or training.

Another popular product is a top called the E9 Compression Shirt made by Under Armour and the tech company Zephyr.

According to the Huffington Post, the shirt “is able to provide metrics on the wearer’s cardiac activity, their anaerobic threshold as well as their aerobic capacity and skin temperature. Using fabric electrodes, the wearable technology can sense when a player is becoming dehydrated and can prevent players from getting heatstroke with its temperature monitor.” Although these devices are still in the early stages of development, they will only become more commonplace in sports because of their ability to provide convenient, accurate health monitoring.

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Chapter 2

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W

hile wearables can have these sorts of practical applications, they appear for artistic purposes as well.

Fashion and technology come hand in hand more than people think. As the Vice President of Sports and Fashion at Intel, Sandra Lopez is focused on coupling new industries with technology. In other words, bringing the expertise in design and technology together. In an interview with her, Lopez put it as “How you make wearables and wantables.

Where consumers want to put things on your body becomes really important because when you put anything on your body, from a technology standpoint, it’s an expression of who you are.” When creating the first wearable for Intel, Lopez highlighted the importance of fashion when developing wearables. “If I want to wear it, it has to be something like a piece of jew-

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elry above all. And then, it should have technology. And the engineers were like ‘No. We want to put a screen on the top, a screen on the bottom, things everywhere…” and I said ‘No. It’s a fashion statement. You’ve got to make it desirable.”

In one fashion-technology project, Turkish fashion duo Ezra and Tuba Çetin created a dress coated with tiny, blue butterflies that, with the aid of the Intel Edison compute module, could fly off the dress. This butterfly technology seems so realistic, as if forty butterflies were magically summoned to rest upon the model’s shoulders and fly off on her command. The effect, although not long lasting, is mesmerizing, yet so natural at the same time. The Çetins worked with Cagri Tanriover, a software development engineer at Intel Labs Europe Istanbul office, to develop the design and incorporation of technology elements. The Intel Edison compute module is essentially an extremely tiny computer without all of its peripherals that can be programmed to perform user-defined tasks.

This module hides under the shoulder pad of the dress and makes a motion to signal the release of the butterflies. This project, which brought together fashion and technology, brings attention to what the future of technology is in fashion.

“We love to play with fabrics, designs, colors, movement and aesthetics, but the future of clothing as we know it is about to change,” mentions Tuba Çetin, and, “to be part of this change we need technology.” Intel also mentions that “fusing fashion and technology is more than a fad for these designers. Future projects including using kinetic energy harvesting to gather electricity from a person’s movement, creating color and pattern changing fabrics, and using 3D modeling and printing to create tailormade fashion”.

The Adrenaline Dress is another prime example of the use of wearable technology in fashion. Many models strutted down the Spring-Summer 2016 New York Fashion Week runway wearing the newest garments by popular designers, but one dress stood out. The Adrenaline Dress, designed by Chromat’s Becca McCharen, seemingly came to life with the help of Intel technology.

The winged gown was engineered using the Intel Curie Module to respond to adrenaline. This module, along with sensors that detect body heat, perspiration, and respiration (all signs of adrenaline), animated the dress and triggered shape shifting movements and flare to the structure. Wearable technology has the ability to bring even more life to gar-

ments, and its implement in the fashion world continues to opens doors to new and innovative possibilities.

Technology also has been recently used to bring life to dance as well. Armoured with LED light suits, Japan’s Wrecking Crew Orchestra performs intricate and cutting-edge light dances. The performances went viral (31.6 million views on youtube) for their celebration of science and technology as well as creative dancing that is intelligently choreographed around the lights. The uniforms, designed by Jean “Moebius” Giraud, a French cartoonist, took inspiration from the movie Tron, which he also did storyboards for. They complement the dance style and electronic music for a performance that is both visually appealing and entertaining.

The involvement of technology in dance redefines and expands the boundaries of what can be done in a performance setting.

Wearables open doors for new and creative innovations in the art world as well as the practical and medical world. They create a space where people can conveniently access information, garments can seemingly come to life, doctors can receive quick and accurate patient reports, and dancers can tell augmented stories.

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Chapter 3

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lthough it has many benefits, wearable technology is not all without controversy. For example, the Google Glass, while innovative and definitely futuristic, did not prove to be very popular. At all.

The built-in camera raised controversy due to the public’s discomfort with the prospect of being recorded or photographed at any time and without knowledge. Even though it was a creative concept, its Orwellian feeling and lack of privacy made people wary of such wearable advancements.

Aside from privacy issues, wearables also raise issues related to health. People have long suspected that computers, cell phones, and other devices that give off low levels of radi19

“It will never produce the same artwork that a standard traditional artist will produce. It will produce a different type of art�

- Jim Levett, AP Studio Art Teacher

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ation could be a threat to people’s health if the device is too close to the body for extended periods of time. According to the World Health Organization, as stated by the New York Times, “the farther away a device is from one’s head, the less harmful — so texting or surfing the Web will not be as dangerous as making calls, with a cellphone inches from the brain.”

In other words, wearable devices might prove more dangerous than other computer devices because of its close proximity to the brain. However, there are no definitive conclusions yet because not enough time has passed and not enough research has been done to exactly determine the potentially detrimental effects.

In the movie Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin’s hands continue to twitch even after he leaves his work at the factory. Likewise, wearable technology might be another outlet for technology reliance. Researches at Cass Business School have done experiments to observing and interacting with smartwatch users around the world. According to Professor Andre Spicer, the professor of organisational behavior, “A small number of users who had fully integrated the watches in their daily life experiences a strange ‘ phantom device’ effect.” The phantom device effect can be described as looking

down at one’s wrist even when they are not wearing a device. “These heavy users often looked at their wrists for information even when they were not wearing the watch.” Constantly checking social media or communicational agendas may result in addiction that could lead to poor social habits. However, although this is a serious problem in terms of the unfortunate social consequences, it can easily be solved by taking appropriate breaks from screen times.

Invasion of privacy, health and addiction are not the only concern with wearable technology. People fear that the impeding influence of technology threatens traditional ways of doing things. For instance, some artists feel that technology will replace the need for traditional art and artists. But it is important to realize that these traditional methods will never truly “go away” like some might expect them to. In an interview with Jim Levett, an art teacher at Mountain View High School, I asked for his opinion on the the threat of technology in the art world.

He described technology as another tool rather than a weapon, and speculated that “It will never produce the same artwork that a standard traditional artist will produce. It will produce a different type of art.” Likewise, Sandra Lopez claims

“there is always going to be a consumer appetite for art, but maybe digested in a different format.” Similarly, wearable technology may one day become the majority and the norm, but it probably will never completely replace long-standing methods, as there will always be a need for them. And, like the Google Glass, some inventions will prove to be more controversial than others, and people will not always want to accept the new changes.

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Conclusion

Where will wearables take us? Who knows. But one thing is for sure: They are here to stay.

In Wearable Technology: to Wear or Beware, Jason Dorsey, a chief strategy officer at The Center for Generational Kinetics, describes a survey done in partnership with Wearables.com to determine whether wearable technology is truly more than just a passing phase. They found that “Wearables are not a fad but a trend that is quickly coming of age... As we look ahead at the fastest-growing segment of customers and prospects (millennials), we find even more aggressive adoption.”

So what can we do adjust ourselves for this future? For one, we can be open-minded about what it has to offer us. Rather than be afraid of the rapid changes, embrace them. And like the blue butterflies that flew off the dress, wearable technology will take our present and bring it to a soaring future in a pioneering and innovative way.

“Wearables are not a fad but a trend that is quickly coming of age...”

-Jason Dorsey, Chief Strategy Officer at The Center for Generational Kinetics 23

Works Cited Bilton, Nick. “The Health Concerns in Wearable Tech.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 Mar. 2015, www. nytimes.com/2015/03/19/style/could-wearable-computers-be-as-harmful-as-cigarettes.html?_r=0. Accessed 27 Apr. 2017.

Burnham, Ted. “Wireless Biometric Patch: HealthPatch MD.” Postscapes, www.postscapes.com/wireless-biometric-patch-healthpatch-md/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.

Cole, Juan. “Tron Dance from JapaJan: Homage to to the Modern Body.” Informed Comment, 23 Mar. 2012, www.juancole. com/2012/03/tron-dance-from-japan.html. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.

Freifeld, Lorri. “Wearables at work.” Training, Sept.-Oct. 2015, p. 18+. Student Resources in Context, go.galegroup.com/ps/i. do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=moun43602&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA430546883&it=r&asid=c371b1d74334ace63b8b7029b2 8c6a56. Accessed 4 Apr. 2017.

Hu, Vincent. Personal Interview. 20 April 2017.

Hyland, Veronique. “Body Diversity and Adrenaline-Powered Wings at Chromat.” The Cut, 13 Sept. 2015, nymag.com/thecut/2015/09/body-diversity-adrenaline-driven-wings-at-nyfw.html. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.

Kaplan, Ken. “Future Tech Fashion Styles Hit NYFW Runway.” IQ by Intel, 15 Jan. 2016, iq.intel.com/future-tech-fashionstyles-hit-nyfw-runway/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.

Kato, Lauren. Personal Interview. 23 March 2017.

Kawamoto, Dawn. “10 Medical-Device Wearables To Improve Patients’ Lives.” InformationWeek, 1 Dec. 2016, www.informationweek.com/healthcare/mobile-and-wireless/10-medical-device-wearables-to-improve-patients-lives/d/d-id/1323544.

Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.

Kroll, Jack, et al. “Computers and creativity.” Newsweek, 27 Feb. 1995, p. 68+. U.S. History In Context, go.galegroup.com/ ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=moun43602&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA16609279&it=r&asid=5dd01341b0b6090dfdb76849 322accce. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.

Landau, Deb Miller. “Fashion Metamorphosis: Meet the Butterfly Dress.” IQ by Intel, 14 Dec. 2016, iq.intel.com/fashion-metamorphosis-meet-the-butterfly-dress/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.

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Levett, Jim. Personal Interview. 27 March 2016.

Lileks, James. “STEAMed about STEM.” National Review, 26 Sept. 2016, p. 39. U.S. History In Context, go.galegroup.com/ ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=moun43602&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA462901443&it=r&asid=273480de893713ace25a13d f48eaec7e. Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.

Lopez, Sandra. Personal Interview. 27 February 2017.

Pai, Aditi. “Study: 12 Percent of US Consumers Own a Fitness Band or Smartwatch.” MobiHealthNews, 5 May 2016, www.mobihealthnews.com/content/study-12-percent-us-consumers-own-fitness-band-or-smartwatch. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017 Sandberg, Sheryl., and Nell Scovell. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. First edition. New York. Alfred A. Knopf, 2013 “Sandra Lopez on the Convergence of Fashion and Technology and the Power of Data to Transform Retail.” Intel Newsroom, 16 July 2016, newsroom.intel.com/chip-shots/sandra-lopez-convergence-fashion-technology-power-data-transform-retail/.

Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.

“The wear, why and how; Wearable technology.” The Economist, 14 Mar. 2015, p. 63(US). U.S. History In Context, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=moun43602&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA404939390&it=r&asid=5aea55d12 9c8f9a057ee08a685b8ea10. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.

Week, Advertising. “Wearing to Win: Wearable Technology In Sport.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 Oct. 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/advertising-week/wearing-to-win-wearable-t_b_12455882.html. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.

Woodson, Michael. “Preparing for the future: artist and professor David Knight talks to us about the best practices for art students today for a more successful career tomorrow.” The Artist’s Magazine, Mar. 2017, p. 28+. Student Resources in Context, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=moun43602&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA476563837&it=r&asid=7eb3161cf 4f7676d53961f7f2c0516c2. Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.

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About the Author

Nicole Hu is a junior at Mountain View High School and studies Digital Media at Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts and Technology. In addition to taking Design at Freestyle, Nicole studies fine arts at California School of Art and Design. She is also a part of Mountain View’s advanced dance in Dance Spectrum where she has choreographed hip hop and jazz pieces. In her free time, Nicole enjoys reading, listening to music, practicing piano, doing makeup, and squishing her cute baby brother.

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