Nokia Creates A Smart Jacket Designed For First Responders

We know that Google is working on smart clothing through Project Jacquard where they partnered with Levi’s for a smart jacket. However Google isn’t alone in pursuing smarter clothing as at MWC 2018, Nokia took the wraps off a smart jacket created in collaboration with South Korean fashion brand Kolon that was designed for first responders.

Dubbed the the CHASE LifeTech FR (“CHASE” stands for connected health and safety equipment), this looks like a jacket that on first glance seems like the kind of uniform that first responders might wear. It is bright and visible and comes with reflectors which could help them be seen by cars in dark situations like on highways or small roads.

However like we said this is a smart jacket. It will provide its wearer with access to data such as heart rate, temperature, GPS/location, and there is also an accelerometer built into it. The version that was demoed at MWC 2018 had sections on the sleeve and chest area that allowed users to swap out modules, which could in theory make it customizable to different needs. For example paramedics might have need for certain sensors or modules that a firefighter might not, and so on.

Unfortunately for now it seems that the jacket is more of a proof of concept rather than an actual product that can be bought, but there are plans to put it into production in the next 12-18 months.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: fashion, MWC, MWC 2018, Nokia, Wearable Tech