Personal space is extremely important, and many people resort to different methods to defend it. Technology is part of that particular list, which is how we came across the Spider Dress, a wearable system equipped with spider legs that can defend the wearer if someone approaches aggressively, or “invite” them to come closer when their presence is welcome.
From self-defense classes to pepper spray, everything is valid when it comes to protection. Unfortunately, women are often seen as an “easy target” by thieves and the usual pervert, though there are never times when the attacker gets an unpleasant surprise. Now, let’s imagine for a moment that the defense mechanism is in the clothing, not in an external object or a martial art. Designer Anouk Wipprecht has explored this possibility through the Spider Dress project, which combines wearable technology, 3D printing, and miniaturized hardware like the Intel Edison platform.
Technically speaking, this is the second version of the dress, yet its appearance makes us think more of armor than of a garment. The Spider Dress features three legs on each shoulder, similar to those of a spider. The legs are controlled by the Edison chip and connected to proximity sensors, accompanied by an additional breathing sensor. If the user begins to breathe more agitatedly or irregularly due to the approach of a stranger, the legs will automatically react, assuming a defensive position. In contrast, if the person approaching poses no threat, the Spider Dress will adopt a more suggestive posture, indicating that they are welcome.
One notable aspect in the design of the Spider Dress is the intervention of the Edison chip. Its creator explains that linking pure real-time data using wireless biosignals wasn’t entirely accessible to her before Intel’s design, because previous microcontrollers were either too modest in performance or too large and power-hungry. Edison represents a kind of balance, and Wipprecht has already used it in other outfits. The Spider Dress will walk the halls of the upcoming CES, but I’m not sure if anyone will dare to get close...
