Exhibition Opening: Wearable or Not?: Interacting with Contemporary Jewelry

An OCAD University MFA Thesis Exhibition curated by Sylvia Zhang, Criticism & Curatorial Practice Candidate

VEGA EDGE - SIMPLE. ELEGANT. WEARABLE LIGHT.

The Vega Edge is easy to use and versatile. Made with laser-cut leather, it snaps securely to your clothes using four strong magnets. It has a thin strip of retro-reflective fabric integrated into the design for added visibility. You can wear it discreetly by day or brightly at night on your coat, cardigan, hood, scarf, handbag, collar, pocket, belt, or wherever you’d like a touch of light.

Find us on Kickstarter at edge.vegalite.com.

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How to put on the Vera Edge
More images of the Vera Edge
Monday, September 17, 2012 - 7:00pm

MONARCH V2

Monarch is a wearable and muscle-activated kinetic textile. It consists of textile forms attached to the shoulders that expand and contract in response to the movement of the wearer's muscles. By physically extending natural body language, Monarch explores how wearable technologies can be used as a form of personal expression, as well as how and when they can begin to feel like a visceral extension of self.

The first version of Monarch was created as part of the Prosthetic Technologies of Being project, a collaboration between the Social Body Lab at OCAD University and Jamie Sherman, funded by Intel Research. Version 2 includes revisions to the hardware, mechanics, design, and styling so that it is better able to be worn in everyday life.

The second version was adjusted in order to be more comfortable to wear and to be more technically stable to allow for sustained use of the Monarch.

Design and Styling

In designing the harness and pleated structure we took in to account personalization. With a much reduced leather base to house the electronics we set out to make a run of six Monarchs, one personalized to each member of the Social Body Lab. Each is personalized in, leather colour and surface design, wing coverings, as well as, interior colouring and pattern. This personalization was enabled through our use of digital fabricated such as, digitally printed textile and lazer cut leather.

Should you feel your current wings are illsuited for an occasion the new design allows for each wing to be removed and replaced with an alternate pair.

 

Hardware and Mechanism

The Monarch board was consolidated into one printed circuit board to ensure solid connections when worn on the boady as well as to diminish the overall space taken by the electrical components on the harness.

The monarch's servo mount was made and printed so as to simplify the mechanics of moving the Monarch wings and reduce strain on the servo.

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Sponsor(s): 
Monarch is a wearable and muscle-activated kinetic textile.
Monarch is a wearable and muscle-activated kinetic textile.
Monarch is a wearable and muscle-activated kinetic textile.
Monarch is a wearable and muscle-activated kinetic textile.
Monarch is a wearable and muscle-activated kinetic textile.
Monarch is a wearable and muscle-activated kinetic textile.
Monarch is a wearable and muscle-activated kinetic textile.
Monarch is a wearable and muscle-activated kinetic textile.
Friday, February 27, 2015 - 8:00pm

Toronto Wearables Meetup 8

sample Wearable
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 - 11:00pm to Thursday, October 13, 2011 - 1:00am

Jessica Thompson is a media artist whose projects facilitate social situations in public space through sound, performance and wearable technologies.  Her studio practice involves the creation of interactive sound pieces that audience members are invited to borrow and use within urban environments, and large-scale collaborative performances.

Her work has been shown in numerous national and international exhibitions and festivals such as ISEA 2006 (San Jose, CA), FINE/LINE (Denmark), the Conflux Festival (New York), the Deep Wireless Festival of Radio and Transmission Art, (Toronto) and most recently at the Norsk Teknisk Museum (Oslo).  Her projects have appeared in publications such as Canadian Art, c Magazine, Acoustic Territories, and numerous art and technology blogs. She holds a BFA in Visual Art from York University in Toronto and an MFA in Emerging Practices from SUNY at Buffalo.

The H2.0 Collective consists of OCAD art and design students Loretta Faveri, Joanne Jin, Michael Vaughn and Chris Holborn. The Collective launched their first exhibition at Nuit Blanche 2011, for which they designed a series of anthropomorphic dresses that interact with viewer’s movement, speech, and proximity.  Through this work the H2.0 Collective raises the issue of modern society’s reliance on technologies to represent one’s sentiments, while at the same time humouring and impressing the viewer with the capabilities of wearable soft circuits encased in their clever designs.

Venue & Address: 
OCAD U, 205 Richmond St. W., Room 7602
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Wearable Wednesday Toronto

Wearables Wednesday Logo
Wednesday, March 26, 2014 - 10:30pm to Thursday, March 27, 2014 - 2:00am

Wearable Health Panel & Thalmic Labs

Come join Wearable Wednesday Toronto’s inaugural meetup at the MaRS Centre, the new home of WWTO! We are pulling out all the stops for March with tons of wearable startups at the event including OmSignal, Thalmic Labs, Bionym, PUSH Strength, Kiwi Wearables and OCADU's Social Body Lab.

This month, MaRS is partnering with WWTO to release a MaRS Market Insights whitepaper on wearables with an emphasis on health. We will kick off the night with a panel discussion on wearables and health:

• Panelists: Daniel Debow, Entrepreneur and one of Canada’s most active Angel Investors; Isabel Pederson, Canada Research Chair in Digital Life, Media and Culture; and Jesse Slade Shantz, Chief Medical Officer of OMSignal

• Moderator: Hadi Salah, Senior Industry Analyst, MaRS Market Intelligence

After the panel, Kitchener-based startup Thalmic Labs will be presenting and demoing it’s gesture-controlled armband Myo which is set to change the way we interact with any smart device around us.

After the sessions, be sure to check out the Wearables Innovation Showcase. Startups will be demoing their tech and answering your questions in the demo table area. Expect to see Kiwi Wearables, PUSH Strength, OMSignal, Thalmic Labs, OCADU Social Body Lab, and many more!

AGENDA
6:30 – 7:00pm: Doors Open & Registration

7:00 – 7:45pm: Panel Discussion - Wearables & Health

7:45-8:00: Thalmic Labs presents Myo

8:00-10:00PM: Wearables Innovation Showcase and Social (Refreshments will be served)

IMPORTANT
Eventbrite tickets are needed to enter. Capacity will be based on the Eventbrite ticket numbers. Get your FREE ticket here:

A big thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible.

BetaKit covers news on Canadian startups and emerging technology. Check out the latest stories at www.betakit.com.
BNOTIONS is a Strategic Innovation Firm focused on mobile, data, and analytics. We are the partner of choice for organizations with a desire to disrupt. For more information, visit www.bnotions.com.

MaRS Discovery District is a mission-driven innovation centre located in Toronto. MaRS works with partners to catalyze, accelerate and amplify innovation. MaRS supports entrepreneurs building Canada’s next generation of growth companies. For more information, visit www.marsdd.com.

Uproar is an innovative consumer technology public relations and social media agency. Along with their other technology practices, the firm has successfully built brand recognition for its wearable tech clients. Within the Toronto and Waterloo communities, Uproar works with Thalmic Labs, Bionym Kiwi Wearables and PUSH. With Uproar's media relations experience, those companies have been featured in media outlets including The Today Show, Business Insider, New York Times and CNBC, just to name a few. The firm specializes in developing campaigns that drive awareness and sales, creating industry buzz. For more information, please visit www.uproarpr.com.

Venue & Address: 
MaRS Discovery District 101 College St. Toronto, Ontario  
Website: 
http://www.meetup.com/Wearable-Wednesday-Toronto/events/169808492/
Cost: 
Please RSVP