You’ll always have a flashlight on hand, so to speak, with this fibre optic glove from Tilen Sepic of Slovenia. White LED lights positioned along the index finger of the glove are attached to optical cables which travel along the hand to the battery pack which is strapped to the wrist.
Quick controls are situated on the thumb part of the glove. The fibre optic glove has the ability to produce both diffused and spot lighting. The designer wanted to develop a flashlight of sorts that would produce a shadow-less work light.
Sepic says, "We can get best non-shadow working area while wearing gloves on both hands."
As long as they are durable enough, I could see this being extremely useful for tasks that need to be done in the dark. In a power failure, a fibre optic glove would be fantastically ‘handy’.
Glowing Gloves
Fibre Optic Flashlight Gloves from Tilen Sepic
Trend Themes
1. Fibre Optic Wearables - Opportunities for designers to create a new category of wearable tech that utilizes fibre optics as a lighting source.
2. Shadowless Work Lighting - Disruptive innovation opportunity exists for companies to create lighting solutions that provide shadow-free illumination for workers in low-light environments.
3. Quick Controls - Opportunities for designers to integrate quick controls into wearable tech to provide users with an intuitive way to switch between different lighting modes.
Industry Implications
1. Construction - Companies in the construction industry can benefit from adopting fibre optic wearables that provide shadowless lighting in low-light environments.
2. Mining - Mining companies can improve worker safety by providing fibre optic wearables that give off diffused and spot lighting in dark and hazardous environments.
3. Outdoor Recreation - Outdoor recreation companies could offer innovative fibre optic wearables to help campers, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts navigate dark trails and campsites.