About

Sometimes we use secret codes to communicate with our friends, partners, or colleagues while in the company of a larger group of people: a Nudge, a cough, a scratch of the nose; something that says “save me from this conversation”, “let’s get out of here”, or “I’m thinking of you”.  What if our clothing could communicate these messages for us?  The Nudgeables Accessory Kit is a modular hardware kit developed for use in creating paired sets of wireless wearable communication devices.  A Nudgeables device employs a radio transceiver, a “Nudger”, and a “Notifier” to enable a pair of people to Nudge each other from across a room.

Nudgeables allow for the transformation of clothing into a site of discrete messaging sending and receiving.  They promote thinking creatively about the body and its gestures, and considering how gestures and movements can be utilized as simple triggers to actuate a Nudge.

The objective of this research project was to create a modular hardware kit that would allow any user to integrate wireless communication into their clothing with ease.  The kit would serve both as an end-user product and as a teaching tool for learning about embedded electronics and wireless communication in the context of wearable technology.

Social Body Lab, OCAD University

The Social Body Lab at OCAD University is a research laboratory focused on wearable technology. The Social Body Lab takes the human body as a starting point from which to consider how humans interface with and relate to the world around them. Beyond the basic functionality of incorporating technology into clothing, the Social Body Lab focuses on meaningful and provocative interactions, questioning the relationship between humans and technology through working prototypes and fully manifested projects.