Levi's and Google working on a connected jacket for 2017

By

Nicola Mira

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
May 24, 2016

A headphone-wearing urban cyclist is travelling along a Californian city's streets. He receives digital information about his route, the tourist sites nearby and his playlist. By activating a button on his left sleeve, he can issue commands.

This is how the first connected jacket developed by Levi's and Google is designed to work. Denim's leading brand and its web giant neighbour have presented their first connected product, developed as part of the 'Commuter' line, targeting urban cyclists.

Last year, the two US groups announced their joint work on the Jacquard Project, aiming to accelerate the integration of digital technology in clothing and textiles. The jacket's presentation video shows the potential applications of this new type of product. But the real challenge for the two groups' teams was adapting technology to incorporate it in a denim fabric. For example, they created interactive surfaces on the fabric, capable of associating a digital command to a movement on that surface.

According to the partners, the first beta versions should be completed in the fall. For the time being, there is no indication of the price for this kind of product. However, a possible launch date in spring 2017 has been mentioned.