Google and Levi's are making a 'smart jacket' to control your phone
The jacket will use a fabric that can sense touch and pressure. It's based on technology called Project Jacquard, which Google's ATAP skunkworks group first announced it at its developers' conference last year.
It's being designed with cyclists in mind, so bikers will be able to do things like turning up their music or blocking a phone call by touching a patch on their wrist.
The jacket will start shipping in spring 2017, though beta versions will be available for testing this fall. No word yet on the price.
There are three basic components: The jacket, with the woven gesture sensing technology, a removable tag that connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and an app that lets you set up what different gestures, like tapping versus swiping, will control which apps.
Users will be able to throw the jacket in the wash, just like a normal piece of clothing, as long as they remove the Bluetooth sensor first.
"We don't want you to try to navigate the screens of your phone while navigating the streets," a Levis rep said on stage during Google's presentation.
When Google and Levis first announced a partnership last year, it seemed like the duo would be making smart jeans, but the switched product and long roadmap show how tough the technology really is to implement.
Here's a video about the jacket: