Yesterday at the Google I/O 2015, the tech giant announced that it will be teaming up with Levi Strauss & Co. for a wearable collaboration titled Project Jacquard. The new project will turn the iconic brand's products into tech platforms with the addition of Google's conductive fibers.
Wearers of the technology will be able to send a text message or silence their phone by simply swiping or tapping their clothing. Unlike previous wearable technology products like Ralph Lauren's Polo Tech Shirt that could monitor your biometrics, these garments will have more advanced capabilities similar to a smartwatch.
The thin tech fibers, orginally developed in Japan, will be woven directly into the fabric. Ivan Poupyrev of Google’s Advanced Technology and Products group told WWD, "this technology can work with virtually any kind of textile and any kind of garment, even sheer silks or lingerie.”
Paul Dillinger, Levi's vice president of innovation, hopes this new technology will help consumers be physically present, while still being able to have a digital connection.
The products are expected to hit the market in fall of 2016.
