Google and Levi’s team up on a “connected” jacket that lets you answer calls, use maps and ...

At Google’s I/O conference today, Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) research unit offered an update on its interactive textiles project unveiled last year, Project Jacquard. ATAP’s Ivan Poupyrev announced that the company was collaborating with iconic clothing company, Levi’s, to launch a “connected” smart jacket aimed at urban cyclists that will allow wearers to do things like control their music, answer phone calls, access navigation and more, all by tapping and swiping on the jacket’s sleeve. Google’s partnership with Levi’s was first announced last year, but the two companies hadn’t yet disclosed how the clothing maker would implement Project Jacquard’s technology. In case you missed it previously, this project involves weaving multi-touch sensors into clothes in order to make what you’re wearing the new…well…”wearable” computing device.
The idea with this new Levi’s Commuter jacket, explained the company, is to make something that’s both fashionable to wear while also representing a practical implementation of the technology. Today, cyclists often have to fuss with their phone while commuting on busy streets, which is dangerous. With Levi’s Commuter jacket, they’ll instead be able to just touch their jacket’s cuff, using gestures to control various functions they would otherwise need to pull out their phone to do. The jacket will be a part of Levi’s Commuter collection of clothing, which is largely aimed at urban dwellers who ride bikes to navigate their city.

During a demo on stage at the event, the companies showed off how the jacket worked. For instance, running fingers up and down the cuff controlled the music volume. Another feature, “Compass,” was accessed with a swipe.