Vodafone designs UV-monitoring smart swimwear range
Wed 27 Jul 2016
Vodafone has created a proof-of-concept range of smart devices designed for the summer and beach holidays, including connected swimwear and luggage trackers.
The Vodafone Smart Swimwear collection includes a bikini and men’s swim shorts which have in-built UV detection sensors. An official post notes that these sensors send data to a connected Vodafone app to let the user know how much exposure they have had to UV rays throughout the day. The technology also notifies on the levels of UV via an app alert – for example a message may read ‘UV level dropped, it is safe to be out in the sun!’
Vodafone explains that the swimwear collection also contains a small vibrating system built into the waistband and straps, providing an additional alert for the wearer when they have had too much exposure to sunlight.
A further item in the IoT summer range includes a sun hat designed for children, which contains a UV sensor, as well as a low-powered SIM and tracker to warn parents if their kids have wandered outside of a pre-determined distance.
Finally, the smart summer concept describes a suitcase which includes embedded tracking technology, allowing the owner to geo-locate luggage via their smartphone if it goes missing.
Vodafone outlined in its Smart Summer post that it is ‘not about to put these proof-of-concept items into stores, but they do show how simple ideas like this – powered by Vodafone’s world-leading Internet of Things technologies and networks – could one day lead to a new generation of smart, connected products that change people’s daily lives.’
The Vodafone designs were developed as part of a European-wide YouGov study which found that almost half (48%) of the 8,653 surveyed did not apply sun cream while on holiday, and that three quarters of these (76%) said that they would have been more likely to apply protection if they had received an automated reminder on their phones.
