If we had to bet money on an organization that could change the world, it would have to be Google, more specifically Google’s Advanced Technology and Progress (ATAP) group. ATAP showcased some of the more interesting developments within its group at Google’s I/O developer conference recently held in San Francisco.
One such development is called Project Jacquard, an attempt to weave conductive threads into textiles so that our clothes could recognize simple gestures. Touching these conductive threads will send a signal to a computer or device that will translate the user’s gestures to a command, such as answering the phone or even measuring your body temperature. According to ATAP, they’re trying to shrink down all the components to the size of a button – small enough to smoothly embed into the manufacturing process. If successful, Google could be the first company to manufacture a device that is actually “wearable.”
One day you may see someone slapping his thighs twice in a café, and without hesitation you’d know that they have just accepted a call.