A high tech suit for the homeless
Sheltersuit - a water repellent and windproof suit with removable sleeping bag for refugees and the homeless – will receive an update. With the help of electronics, DesignLab University of Twente, the Saxion lectorate Smart Functional Materials and the Sheltersuit Foundation are going to transform the suit into an 'Urban Safety Kit'. The partners are doing so in the context of WEARSustain, an EU Horizon 2020 project that allocated €50,000 to the partners for research and development.
Updates
17 October 2018 | Final preparations for Dutch Design Week
Happy to announce that the Urban Safety Kit will be at Dutch Design Week 2018!
The picture above shows our DreamTeamers frantically preparing the exhibition. Not pictured: our other DreamTeamers running around like crazy.
We've got an exciting exhibition which we think tells our story quite well. Props to David Claassen for coordinating our efforts.
Almost there!
16 October 2018 | 2 prototypes shipped to Barcelona
We're excited to share that we've shipped 2 of our prototype kits to Barcelona, where CitiLab will get to know them and prepare the User Experience study.
Next week, we will be shipping 3 more prototypes before they start the testing!
5 October 2018: Second bag prototype
Happy to reveal our second prototype for the new bag! Solar panels can be attached and detached depending on the user's needs. The overall look is inspired by Sheltersuit materials and focuses on the usability and functionality rather than highlighting production value. We think that matches Sheltersuit's values quite well :)
3 September 2018 | New bag design with integrated solar panels
Our designer David Claassen working on a new bag design and discussing blueprints to the workers at Sheltersuit. Can't wait to see it made!
In other news, we are happy to announce that we will be working with Citilab in Barcelona to have real users test the Urban Safety Kit!
2 July 2018 | sheltersuit meetup
Showing the team at Sheltersuit what we are thinking of so far, and getting their input on the user scenarios we are focusing on. Pictured: discussing possible places to integrate the solar panels.
20 June 2018 | Shivering test
Tests of an accelerometer on a speaker. The speaker is fed with constant sine waves with a specific Hz. Checking if the accelerometer can pick that up. This is the start of our exploration to whether we can detect shivering in the wearer in order to signal for early-stage hypothermia.
23 April 2018 | First brainstorm
Here with the team at our very first brainstorm session. We warmed up with some creative exercises and started to think about what role technology can play in the Sheltersuit. Also, to which aspects would technology add value to the existing Sheltersuit wearers i.e. refugees and the homeless?
A lot of great ideas and a team feeling supercharged.
23 March 2018 | At the WEAR sustain kick-off in Berlin!
Today, Jurrie Barkel and Edo de Wolf officially kicked of the project together with 20 other WEAR teams in Berlin. It was great to see the wide range of projects and applications this year, and we can't wait to see what we can add to the Sheltersuit!
Blog
Project member Edo de Wolf wrote a blog about the Urban Safety Kit.
Contact