Russell Athletic to launch headphone hoodie
The ‘Headphone Hoodie’ from US sportswear brand Russell Athletic incorporates earbuds directly into the drawstrings of the hooded sweatshirt item popularised by hip-hop culture, following in the footsteps of Nike, which has integrated MP3 technology into some of its running shoes.
Fully machine-washable, Russell Athletic said the earbud cable had been incorporated directly into the jacket which runs through the inside to a 3.5mm input jack that can connect with a range of MP3 devices.
Combining technology and sound with clothing has become a popular pursuit. In 2006 the textile and fibre technology division of the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) showcased the ‘Wearable Instrument Shirt’ in which electronic sensors woven into a T-shirt could be played liked a real guitar. It works by tracking movements from the wearer’s arms and beaming these to a computer which interprets the actions into musical notes.
Nike has been offering the iPod Sport Kit to joggers for a number of years. The kit comprises a sensor which is embedded into the sole of a purpose-built Nike shoe, and a receiver that plugs into the base of the iPod Nano, that allows users to track their performance from the iPod through audio feedback.
Japanese telco, NTT is taking the idea of wearable technology one step further in a bid to develop shoes that generate electricity as you walk using a tiny generator attached to water-filled soles, with the goal of powering a mobile phone or MP3 player.
Berkeley University is working on a related project, introducing nanofibre technology into clothing with the goal of converting body movements into energy.
“This technology could eventually lead to wearable ‘smart clothes’ that can power hand-held electronics through ordinary body movements,” said Liwei Lin, UC Berkeley professor of mechanical engineering.
