Ping Garment Makes a Facebook Poke Physical

When people ask you what a Facebook poke actually does, you can now answer that it transmits a signal for your coat to tap you on the shoulder. Jennifer Darmour created ‘Ping’—a social networking garment which keeps you connected to your friends off screen.

Using Lilypad and Lilypad Xbee with custom software to interface with Facebook, the social networking garment can send messages and update your status with simple gestures such as putting on and taking off the hood. When you receive a message, Ping will transmit a gentle tap on your shoulder. Tapping rhythms are customizable to different groups of friends.