Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter has been the launchpad for many smart wearable products throughout the last two years and that trend continues to gather momentum, with SKIINCore becoming the latest addition.
SKIINCore smart clothing is both practical and understated
SKIINCore by Myant is a self-heating and wire-free wearable base layer, which can be controlled from a smartphone, keeping the wearer warm for up to eight hours. This is achieved through a knitted conductive yarn, which holds 18 watts of heating power to deliver warmth to areas of the body that need it most. The team behind SKIINCore also state that the wearable, which is manufactured at Myant’s 80,000 sq ft factory in Toronto, is programmed with machine-learning to adapt to the users optimal body temperature based on their movement and the outside temperature. This makes the product versatile and suitable for any occasion, according to the product designers.
Traditionally, smart wearable products have been criticised for a lack of practicality, which has arguably stunted their development, despite the attempts of big-named companies such as Google and Levi’s which partnered to produce the underwhelming Commuter Trucker jacket equipped with Jacquard by Google.
SKIINCore’s product manager, Hin Fan, says: “We wanted to take the wires out of wearable technology and, living in Canada, we know what it's like to deal with harsh, cold weather. While developing a textile computing platform, the team discovered a way to transfer heat through the fibres of everyday fabrics. The result is SKIINCore, a wire-free heated base layer that learns your optimal temperature the more you wear it.”
SKIINCore was three years in the making and the prototype received the Best New Wearable Technology Device award from IDTechEx and the Product Innovation Award from the Canadian Printable Electronics Symposium.
SKIINCore’s full range of features include: a 100% wire-free soft technology; intelligent heat that adapts to the wearer; targeted heating, insulation and ventilation zones; articulating joints; a charging port and is 100% machine washable.
Fan adds that SKIINCore’s smart base layers – a top and a pair of leggings – are a perfect alternative to the heated jacket because there are times when wire-filled clothing isn’t suitable, such as in an office or at a social engagement when you want to look smart. SKIINCore products are both subtle and intelligent enough to provide heat to the user’s optimal temperature, the company adds.
