Photochromia: Sunlight-Sensitive Apparel

Print All Over Me and wearable tech studio The Crated collaborate for futuristic T-shirts and backpacks that react to UV rays

At the moment, companies seem eager to keep wearable technology constrained to a simple accessory around the wrist, but NYC-based wearable tech research studio The Crated, along with digital printing platform Print All Over Me (POAM), have grand plans for smart textiles. The two collaborated on an apparel collection called “Photochromia,” where every piece—from caps to backpacks—reacts to sunlight. Thanks to color-changing photochromic inks, designs …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Night vision eyedrops, Earth's endangered soil and the science behind comfort food all in this week's picks

1. IKEA’s Shelters for Refugees IKEA is providing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees with 10,000 flat-pack Better Shelters as part of an ongoing collaboration through its Housing for All Foundation. After initially being tested by 40 refugee families, the Better Shelters were upgraded with a solar panel, lamp, windows, ventilation and a locking door—earning them praise as a “milestone in democratic design.” They …

Cool Hunting Video: Mercedes-Benz F015 Concept

User Experience Designer, Vera Schmidt takes us face to face with the autonomous future of luxury mobility

On a sunny day in Alameda, California, we waited patiently at the end of an abandoned naval airstrip for the silver torpedo-like Mercedes-Benz F015 Concept car to drive itself down and pick us up. Mercedes created this concept not as evidence of autonomous driving technology, but to showcase the future of an autonomous luxury experience. Designed with passenger interaction and entertainment in mind, the car …