For those who are unfamiliar, Google’s Project Jacquard is about trying to make our everyday clothing smarter. This is done by inserting sensors into our clothes that make them responsive to touches and gestures that are then relayed to a smartphone. However, it seems that Google is now expanding Project Jacquard by bringing it to backpacks.
This comes in the form of a new backpack created with Samsonite called the Konnect-i. For the most part, the backpack looks like a regular backpack that you might use to commute to work or school, but it comes with a slot where you can insert the Jacquard Tag and also a portion of the backpack that you can interact with.
Through the use of the Jacquard Tag, the backpack will get smart capabilities. This includes the ability to receive notifications whenever you receive a call or a message. You can also use the capacitive stripes to trigger a selfie mode with your camera, control music, and so on. The backpack itself is pretty standard and comes with compartments for you to store your things in, like a laptop.
This is actually not Google’s first attempt at creating a smart backpack. Previously, they worked with Saint Laurent, but admittedly the Samsonite Konnect-i will be a much more affordable alternative where it will be priced at $199 for the slim version, and $219 for the standard model.
Filed in . Read more about Google and Wearable Tech. Source: blog.google