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Research & Development

Wearable &

Embedded Electronics

 

Sherman Oaks, California

Interaction design begins with being able to quantify what people are doing, so we are obsessed with wearable & embedded electronics. Of course some information can be gathered remotely without any embedded electronics (and we've used plenty of those systems in our work), but the most meaningful connections you can make with guests and performers come from embedded electronics in costumes, props, and set pieces. This type of connection is key to empowering guests and performers alike.

Over the years we've made wirelessly triggered LED bracelets for reality TV, performer controlled glowing hair for themed entertainment, trackable wands for TV game shows, heavily sensored / LED ladened props for live shows, a gesture-control system with sensors, microcontrollers, and LEDs for costumed characters, and designed and manufactured custom-designed waterproof fabric bend & pressure sensors for physically demanding dance productions. Often wirelessly controlled & connected. Many integrated into a larger environmental show control system.

 

Although the above reflect many different sensing technologies,  the results are the same: creating unique, one-of-a-kind experiences.

FABRIC SENSORS

Our fabric sensor deserves a special mention. It was born out of our need to not only track joint movement and pressure (e.g. fingers, elbows, kness, feet), but also rugged enough to deal with harsh conditions while attached to a performer's body: heat, sweat, and exterme physical stress. Diavolo was one of our first applications which helped us to create a completely fabric-based and waterproof bend and pressure sensor that has become a vital component of our gesture control system.

Want to know more about our fabric sensors? Drop us a line. They've been embedded in over 1500 gloves to date (that's over 6000 sensors!).

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