Google’s secretive ATAP division is coming up with a fabric based technology, dubbed Project Jacquard, which will allow a user to control their phones with their clothes.
A touch sensor technology is expected to be woven into the fabrics that will work like a trackpad.
According to reports, in its demo, ATAP had a tablecloth with woven sensors that was connected to different devices, and users were able to see the visualisation of what was going on in the fabric on a computer screen.
The demo cloth was being able to sense different levels of pressure, as well as multiple fingers dragging, tapping, and swiping through it.
Attendees of the Google I/O conference were being able to tap the cloth to turn on some Philips Hue bulbs, and were being able to adjust the brightness by swiping up and down.
Users will also be able to play, pause, skip music tracks on phones with the new fabric based technology.
The company initially aims to use the technology to control smartphones, and ATAP is likely to introduce pants and shirts woven with sensors, where the outfits will act as a micro-controller with various sensors including heart rate monitor, accelerometers, gyroscopes, pressure sensors.
ATAP’s other projects include Project Tango and the modular Project Ara phone.
