Click Your Heels 3 Times and This App Will Take You Home
Wearables are moving away from our wrists and making their presence known throughout our entire wardrobe, from a hoodie that connects to Facebook, a ring that lets you read your texts, a GPS-equipped blazer and trousers that can charge your phone. Now, iStrategyLabs has unveiled a system that makes your shoes the new wearable tech — with real-life ruby slippers.
Click your heels three times, and a device attached to your shoes, Ruby, activates its mobile app (Dorothy) to either summon you an Uber ride, call your phone from a fake contact (so you can get outta that bad date) or send a predetermined text to three contacts of your choice.
The Ruby (the physical device) consists of some small but impressive tech — a 3D printed body stenciled with a gemstone logo, a laser-cut acrylic faceplate and a LightBlue Bean, which is a new device with no wires and an Arduino compatible board. The Bean is enabled with Bluetooth LE support that lets you upload code to the board wirelessly. This is what allows Ruby to respond to your shoe clicks.
Once Ruby is clipped on your shoes, fire up the accompanying app, Dorothy, and select what action you would like your triple-heel-click to trigger. Via Bluetooth, a signal is sent to your phone, and you can make it home whichever way you choose.
iStrategyLabs is working on reducing the size of Ruby and may even build it directly into the insole. They’re open to all suggestions for what you would like Ruby to do, like automatically order your fave pizza pie.
We don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.
Would you find a home for Dorothy? If so, share with us what you’d want it to do in the comments below.
(h/t Fast Company)
