Forget carrying a separate hotspot router to have a local network wherever you go – what if you were the hotspot? Fashion designer Borre Akkersdijk has come very, very close to making that vision a reality with his experimental BB.Suit. The goofy-looking cotton onesie is knitted using a special 3D technique that leaves space for WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC connections, turning the owner into an access point.
At any festival, whether it’s a tech conference or Coachella, the biggest issue is (arguably) finding people. But now thanks to a new, true wearable, if your friend left her phone in her other fannypack, you’ll be able to find her by the GPS wired into her clothes. Danish textile developer Borre Akkersdijk has designed a quilted onesie called the BB.Suit, which he presented at this year’s SXSW. Though it looks like a mod oompaloompa outfit, it’s got high-tech capabilities. Embedded with copper wires that enable WiFi, GPS, NFC, and Bluetooth, BB.Suit turns its wearer into a mappable hotspot with mp3 streaming ability. Batteries, processor boards, and UI actuators live in the BB.Suit’s pockets, making the rest of the suit feel seamless. And if it seems plush, that’s because it’s made of two layers of cotton to hide and protect the copper cables, with filling that puffs when it’s steamed.
