NazcAlpaca • high-end body monitoring & wearables for environmental awareness

With the help of Bear Creek Mining S.A.C. in Peru we developed the first proof of concept to combine alpaca yarn with innovative wearable technology: NazcAlpaca. An innovative training system to avoid work related stress issues. The NazcAlpaca shirt monitors your body, with this app you can adjust settings, start training and check your history. Two scarfs can measure the air quality and temperature around the wearer. Here you will find a visual documentation of the process and its prototypes so far.

Concept
A lot of people experience stress during office work. We developed a body-monitoring shirt to help reducing stress and we made two scarfs to bring awareness about environmental data such as air quality and temperature.
NazcAlpaca is researching how to combine the high quality of alpaca yarn with highly innovative wearable technology. Electrical components, silver fiber and alpaca yarn are brought together to become an interactive fashion item. A brand identity and 3d printed casings make sure to achieve a unique look and perfect fit of hard and soft materials. A male and a female version of the body-monitoring garment are made. Via tiny magnets the hardware is connected. An adjustable breathing sensor and hart-rate sensor are knitted in the garment. The NazcAlpaca app will guide you though your body monitoring and enables you to start exercising.
One scarf measures the air quality around the wearer. The ladies shawl measures the temperature.
These are just the very first and very unique prototypes in our research to combine alpaca and wearable electronics. In future we hope to develop them further towards more robust, reliable and mass producible products.
Towards supportive, innovative and beautiful fashion.

Find here the Spanish version of the movie >>

 

And here an instruction movie for the app:

about
This project is designed and developed by Marina Toeters and Martijn ten Bhömer

credits
Matthijs Vertooren, 3D modeling + 3D printing
Xinwei Wang, logo design, UX design and animation
Jesse Asjes, yarn and knitting expert, jsssjs.com
Erna de Reuver & Boudewijn, knitting of the fabric, De Reuver breifabriek
Geert van den Boomen, hardware advise, Eindhoven University of Technology
Iztok Klančar, movie and pictures, easetock.com
Kristel van Walen, model
Loe Feijs, fractal pied-de-poule development, Eindhoven University of Technology
Beam van Waardenberg, electronics in the scarves, ContreChoc
Melissa Bonvie, confectioning expert, Katoen Enzo
Janny Toeters, hand stitching
Kyra Journée and Laura, steaming experts
Mientje Toeters-Kleinjan, knitting experiments
Malte von Krshiwoblozki, body monitoring inspiration, Fraunhofer
Koen van Os, wearable inspiration, Philips Research
Ineke Visser, spinning conductive yarn
Kevin MacLeod, music movie
Niko Vegt, voice-over English
Eduardo Antúnez De Mayolo, intermediary Peru – Netherlands / voice-over Spanish
Martijn ten Bhömer, concept, interaction design, app development, technology, mtbhomer.com
Marina Toeters, concept, garment design, management, by-wire.net
Thanks to Bear Creek Mining S.A.C.