Wish there was a gadget able to transform your boring office uniform into a party outfit, or even a device that guides you straight to new friends Then call Marcelo Coelho.
Wish there was a gadget able to transform your boring office uniform into a party outfit, or even a device that guides you straight to new friends Then call Marcelo Coelho.
A researcher with Fluid Interfaces at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, Coelho works at the cutting edge of wearable devices that may be smarter than the person wearing them.
One of the most promising areas is clothing that integrates computers and can practically think for itself.
“You can program your shirt for it to change colour, or move to a different pattern,” he said. “Maybe you're at work today and want your shirt one way, but you'll be at a party tonight and want it different.”
Another creation is a dress with a hemline that rises and falls - or another dress, decorated with gently opening and closing flowers.
Coelho, 35, was speaking at MIT's 2015 EmTech conference Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, where for two days leaders in emerging technology give glimpses of the future.
The message is that science fiction-like developments are rapidly under way in areas as diverse as drones and medicine.
But for Coelho, originally from Brazil, the joy is bringing the mysteries of the lab to everyday situations. Building on that office-to-party scenario, Coelho unveiled a device that would help you find the people you might want to talk to, flirt with or avoid. Shaped like a normal watch, the tiny computer is programmed with personal data - your Facebook information or something more customised - then communicates with other devices in the room.
“You go to the event and it can match your wrist band to someone else's,” he explained. “If you have nothing in common with a stranger at the event, a red light will go on and if you do, a green light will go on.”
“You may wonder where all this craziness is going,” he said with a wry smile.
