Aura Seismic suit
Clothing
2017
2017
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Aura Powered Clothing is conceived to give muscle assistance to the elderly. It reacts to the body's natural movements, adding power to aid the wearer in standing up, sitting down, or staying upright. The clothing is designed to extend the capacity of the body and to enable the wearer to carry out daily activities. 'What if technology could help us to move about the world and engage with it physically, socially, and emotionally?' says designer Yves Béhar.
The design -with black, grey, and green colours, slick materials - is 'intended to avoid the "sick room" aesthetic' says Behar, avoiding the 'stigmatisation and marginalisation' that often comes with designing for the elderly. 'This is about comfort, performance and style'. It is an undergarment, intended to be worn underneath other clothes.
Yves Béhar (b. 1967) is a Swiss product designer and entrepreneur. Based in San Francisco, he and the firm he founded in 1999, fuseproject, have become recognized for designing objects based on conceptual narratives inspired by user experience, and for blending design and brand development. Béhar is a versatile designer, who is at ease experimenting with new concepts, clients, materials, and technologies. He has produced a wide spectrum of work including the One Laptop Per Child laptops and tablets, low-cost devices designed specifically for children in the developing world (V&A collection: W.9:1 to 5-2011), a luxurious chandelier for Swarovski that combines crystal with contemporary lighting technology, as well as SodaStream systems and the Jawbone UP fitness tracker, products that exemplify his dedication to creating design for the mass market.
Seismic was founded in 2015 by Rich Mahoney, and is based in Menlo Park, California. According to Exoskeleton Report, 'the technology behind Seismic's Powered Clothing is based on the DARPA funded Warrior Web Project, to reduce risk and enhance soldier endurance.' The team was led by Mahoney, who would then create Seismic to apply their technology in the consumer market.
This model is a design prototype and, despite much media interest in the company and the product, was never made available commercially.
The design -with black, grey, and green colours, slick materials - is 'intended to avoid the "sick room" aesthetic' says Behar, avoiding the 'stigmatisation and marginalisation' that often comes with designing for the elderly. 'This is about comfort, performance and style'. It is an undergarment, intended to be worn underneath other clothes.
Yves Béhar (b. 1967) is a Swiss product designer and entrepreneur. Based in San Francisco, he and the firm he founded in 1999, fuseproject, have become recognized for designing objects based on conceptual narratives inspired by user experience, and for blending design and brand development. Béhar is a versatile designer, who is at ease experimenting with new concepts, clients, materials, and technologies. He has produced a wide spectrum of work including the One Laptop Per Child laptops and tablets, low-cost devices designed specifically for children in the developing world (V&A collection: W.9:1 to 5-2011), a luxurious chandelier for Swarovski that combines crystal with contemporary lighting technology, as well as SodaStream systems and the Jawbone UP fitness tracker, products that exemplify his dedication to creating design for the mass market.
Seismic was founded in 2015 by Rich Mahoney, and is based in Menlo Park, California. According to Exoskeleton Report, 'the technology behind Seismic's Powered Clothing is based on the DARPA funded Warrior Web Project, to reduce risk and enhance soldier endurance.' The team was led by Mahoney, who would then create Seismic to apply their technology in the consumer market.
This model is a design prototype and, despite much media interest in the company and the product, was never made available commercially.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Aura Seismic suit |
| Materials and techniques | Fabric made of jersey and cotton with metal, motors and control board covered with plastic. |
| Brief description | Aura Seismic Suit, designed by Fuseprojects for Seismic, USA, 2017, cotton and synthetic jersey, plastic, metal, motors, batteries, control boards |
| Physical description | This sleeveless knee length suit is designed for women. It is made out of flexible fabric, with a series of electric motors housed in hexagonal pods on the thighs and back. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label | Feeling strong in old age
Powered clothing is a type of garment with lightweight ‘electric muscles’ integrated into the fabric to enhance the capabilities of the human body. This item, aimed at older wearers, provides power to the hips and lower back to help with movements like getting up from a chair or lifting objects. Sensors and motors in the fabric react to the body’s natural movements and sense when a task requires assistance.
Sensor-assisted clothing
Aura Seismic Suit, 2017
Designed by Fuseprojects for Seismic, USA
Cotton and synthetic jersey, plastic, metal, motors, batteries, control boards
Given by Seismic Powered Clothing™
Museum no. CD.5-2021
This label was written for the 'Tech and the Body' section of the Design 1900-Now gallery (opened in June 2021).(2021) |
| Credit line | Given by Seismic Powered Clothing™ |
| Summary | The Aura Powered Clothing is conceived to give muscle assistance to the elderly. It reacts to the body's natural movements, adding power to aid the wearer in standing up, sitting down, or staying upright. The clothing is designed to extend the capacity of the body and to enable the wearer to carry out daily activities. 'What if technology could help us to move about the world and engage with it physically, socially, and emotionally?' says designer Yves Béhar. The design -with black, grey, and green colours, slick materials - is 'intended to avoid the "sick room" aesthetic' says Behar, avoiding the 'stigmatisation and marginalisation' that often comes with designing for the elderly. 'This is about comfort, performance and style'. It is an undergarment, intended to be worn underneath other clothes. Yves Béhar (b. 1967) is a Swiss product designer and entrepreneur. Based in San Francisco, he and the firm he founded in 1999, fuseproject, have become recognized for designing objects based on conceptual narratives inspired by user experience, and for blending design and brand development. Béhar is a versatile designer, who is at ease experimenting with new concepts, clients, materials, and technologies. He has produced a wide spectrum of work including the One Laptop Per Child laptops and tablets, low-cost devices designed specifically for children in the developing world (V&A collection: W.9:1 to 5-2011), a luxurious chandelier for Swarovski that combines crystal with contemporary lighting technology, as well as SodaStream systems and the Jawbone UP fitness tracker, products that exemplify his dedication to creating design for the mass market. Seismic was founded in 2015 by Rich Mahoney, and is based in Menlo Park, California. According to Exoskeleton Report, 'the technology behind Seismic's Powered Clothing is based on the DARPA funded Warrior Web Project, to reduce risk and enhance soldier endurance.' The team was led by Mahoney, who would then create Seismic to apply their technology in the consumer market. This model is a design prototype and, despite much media interest in the company and the product, was never made available commercially. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CD.5-2021 |
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| Record created | March 15, 2017 |
| Record URL |
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