If you’ve always struggled to express your emotions, then you should seriously consider getting the Mood Sweater to do it for you. Sensoree, a San Francisco-based company, has created a new line of high-tech sweaters that display the wearer’s moods.
Along with the sweater, you need to wear a sensor on your hand. Information about your emotions are transmitted to the collar, embedded with LED lights that glow in a variety of colors. The wide turtleneck is white when unused, but glows in
various colors, according to the wearer’s mood, when worn.
The emotive display is color coded: green for tranquil, Zen; blue for calm, relaxed; purple for ruffled, aroused or excited; red for nervous, in love; yellow for nirvana, ecstatic, blissful. The technology in the sweater is similar to that used in some lie detectors – it gathers information from the wearer’s sweat glands.
Sensoree’s founder and lead designer, Kristin Neidlinger, said that they were aiming to create sensitive technology, instead of an intelligent one. The sweaters, she said, are “intuitive, responsive and illuminate the senses.”
The futuristically designed sweaters are based on a specific type of lie detector technology – the Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) system. This method measures the level of moisture on a person’s body, and analyzes their levels of arousal. GSR is used in e-meter devices, also called the Hubbard Electrometer. It is used widely by Scientologists in religious auditing sessions, to measure devotees’ levels of enlightenment.
But Sensoree has no such serious intentions. They say that their design is only meant to promote ‘extimacy’ – externalized intimacy. “I believe technology can make us more aware,” said Neidlinger. “With responsive clothing, you can animate your body and heighten communication with yourself.” They call their sweaters The GER: Galvanic Extimacy Responder.
The price of the Mood Sweater is yet to be decided. For now, only 100 pieces are available for pre-order on the company website, with delivery starting next March. Are you interested in putting your moods on display?