There are a few fashion houses going against the grain, but for now the majority of wearable technology is not actually particularly wearable.
Wearable Experiments seems to be aware of this problem and may have found a subtle solution, one that involves making the tech functional but invisible in design-led pieces like their NAVIGATE jacket. With haptic pads woven into the material, this blazer is equipped with a GPS system that has fully got to grips with New York City and can gently nudge the wearer on their way without any of the tourist-like embarrassment that comes with gazing into a smartphone.
An app complements the jacket, storing destinations and uploading them into the clothing, while on the jacket itself, light haptic vibrations push the wearer in the right direction by indicating where exactly to turn.
NAVIGATE has been in development for some time, but now Wearable Experiments has teamed up with The Unlimited Magazine for a collaborative film that demonstrates the jacket in action.
Wearable Experiments aren't the only ones considering the benefits of embedding haptic feedback into clothes – the Lechal shoes were developed to help India's blind people get around, using Bluetooth and an app for a similar kind of tap-based navigation.