Sparkle: A Detachable and Versatile Wearable Sensing Platform in a Sustainable Casing

Abstract

An easy to wear versatile and a compact sensing platform, Sparkle, which consists of a customizable array of sensors: 3-axis accelerometer, temperature sensor, capacitive touch sensor, RFID chip, and light emitting diodes (LED) is presented. The sensing system is cased inside naturally occurring materials such as a seashell and a seed of an oak tree; thereby showing a possibility of usage of ecofriendly materials in smart wearable gadgets. Sparkle uses a Velcro patch that enables easy attachment and removal from any already worn ornament or a gadget. Prototypes of Sparkle attached to a silicone ring, a beaded necklace and to a watch were evaluated for their functionality. The results from an exploratory user study are presented.