Designing Wearables • 2024

NightWatch: Enhancing Personal Safety by a Wearable Solution for Nighttime Walks

Night Watch is a wearable safety prototype designed to enhance the sense of security when walking alone at night. The project explores how discreet interactions and wearable technology can support personal safety without drawing unwanted attention. The prototype takes the form of a jacket that detects when someone approaches the wearer from behind. An ultrasonic distance sensor mounted on the back of the jacket measures proximity and triggers subtle haptic feedback through vibration motors placed on the shoulders. This discreet feedback alerts the wearer to the presence of someone nearby. If the wearer perceives the situation as potentially unsafe, they can activate the jacket by gently squeezing a soft textile button embedded in the sleeve. Once activated, the system monitors the approaching person. If they move within the wearer's personal space for more than five seconds, the jacket triggers a visible alarm by illuminating optical fibers integrated into the garment, drawing attention to the wearer's situation. The prototype was built using an ATmega328P microcontroller connected to several sensors and actuators integrated into the garment: - Ultrasonic distance sensor sewed on the back to detect approaching people - Soft textile button embedded in the sleeve for discreet interaction - Vibration motors placed on the shoulders to provide haptic feedback - LED strip with optical fibers sewn into the jacket to create visible illumination The soft button was constructed using layered materials consisting of conductive fabric, foam, and non-conductive fabric, enabling a comfortable squeeze-based interaction integrated directly into the sleeve. The optical fiber lighting system was developed by processing fibers through cutting to allow light emission along their length. We 3D printed custom adapters to connect the fibers to an LED strip, and we designed and 3D printed holders for the vibration motors, which were heated with a fan and bended by hands to fit the shoulder.

Created by: Kasper Storgaard & Frederikke Johansen