Jessica Ruane May 5th, 2016
When it comes to the world of weird wearable tech, there's no shortage of strange products to talk about. There's definitely something out there for everyone. Whether you like to eat tomatoes while running marathons or you want to control your dog with your smartphone, the world of wearable tech has something that will appeal to you.
In this series, we'll bring you updates on the weirdest wearables we can find and highlight the wacky, wonderful, and totally weird wearable products you can actually buy right now.
In this post, we'll explore some of the unique creations from Katia Vega, the designer and inventor behind the Beauty Technology brand. Her work focuses on an emerging field in wearable tech that uses the body’s surface as an interactive platform by integrating technology into beauty products applied directly to the skin, fingernails, and hair.
Hairware: Control Your Smartphone By Touching Your Hair
Have you ever wished that you could secretly communicate with your smartphone without anyone else knowing what you were up to? Well, you’re in luck because soon you'll be able to control your phone just by touching your hair. Hairware is an artificial hair extension that is chemically metalized to conduct electricity and looks just like natural hair. The extensions act as a capacitive touch sensor, which means that they can detect variations in touch. The sensor uses machine learning algorithms to understand your intended action, allowing you to program your extensions to send a message, record a conversation, send your location, or take a picture.
Usually when you touch your hair, you're unconsciously sending a message about how you're feeling and what you're thinking. But with Hairware's smart extensions, those subconscious gestures actually send a conscious message. This gives you a concealed way to interface with different devices. Imagine if you're out on the town, and you overhear something suspicious. You can start recording the conversation just by touching your hair! With Hairware, you don't have to constantly stop what you're doing to pick up your phone and type out a message. You can respond to people on the go without ever even looking at your phone!
High Tech Nails
These are false plastic or acrylic nails that have embedded RFID tags, small magnets, or conductive polish that enables you to interact with other wearables and smart objects in your environment. An RFID reader is used to understand each tag. You can then control various applications through different combinations of finger movement and timing. Imagine being able to simply point at an object to open a door, pay for an item, or check out a book. These high tech nails could serve as your password, ID, and method of payment, completely eliminating the need for a wallet!
Magnets are embedded into the nail to amplify their range by giving the wearer the ability to read magnetic fields. This allows you to control different objects with magnetic switches, such as other smart objects and smartphones with just your fingernails!
Take a look at these high tech nails in action.
Conductive Makeup
If fake nails and hair aren't really your thing, you might like conductive makeup. With a simple smoky eye made from black conductive ink, this makeup intends to enrich your social interactions through blinking. Imagine being able to alter your surroundings with just the blink of an eye. The makeup follows the natura l movement of your eye muscles and can respond to specific eye movement patterns.
Combine this high tech makeup with Beauty Technology's metalized fake eyelashes, and you could have the power to levitate objects just by blinking.
How is this possible? Tiny sensors are added to the eyeshadow, and the false eyelashes are made from metal and attached to the eye with stickers coated in conductive ink. When the wearer blinks or winks for longer than half a second, the sensors connect with the metalized eyelashes and conductive ink to complete a low-voltage circuit. It does the wirelessly through radio frequencies. When connected, the circuit can be used to power other smart objects. Opening the eye breaks the connection.
The Future Of Beauty Tech
Unlike most wearable tech devices, these products from Beauty Tech are unique because their primary purpose is to hide the actual technology, making them look like traditional beauty products.
These three inventions are just some of the creations from Beauty Technology. Future products include conductive eyeshadow in different colors that's flexible and adapted to go on to the eyelid. As sensors, batteries, and other electromagnetic components evolve and become smaller and smaller, the possibilities for beauty tech products will become limitless. Soon, you'll be able to control your smart devices through your nails, eyelashes, or hair extensions!
Personally, I'd go for the eyelashes. I've always wanted to move objects with my mind. That way, I could truly embrace my lazy side and have everything I needed without getting off the couch! Which of these weird wearable beauty products would you wear?
Click here to start shopping for your very own beauty tech cosmetics today!
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