This Smart Jacket Gives You a Back Rub When Someone Touches You

Pauline van Dongen’s new denim jacket is a stylish alternative to scheduling a massage. As Dezeen reports, the Dutch fashion designer’s smart garment—unveiled at the 2017 SXSW conference—is made from a special fabric that caresses its wearer when it senses touch.

The denim material contains conductive fibers, which connect a sequence of motorized sensors. When these sensors detect touch on certain parts of the jacket, the garment gives its owner a “gentle stroke on the upper back,” according to van Dongen’s website. Don’t expect the jacket to give you a full-on back rub, but the intention is to make you more mindful. “Through bodily sensations, this jacket encourages you to be present in an increasing accelerating world in which our mind is often focused on future events,” the designer's website explains.

Van Dongen is known for her tech-inspired fashions: Past creations include a smart top that vibrates when it senses bad posture, a running shirt with safety lights made from LEDs and foil, and a solar-powered dress, among other looks.

[h/t Dezeen]

All images by Sharon Jane D, courtesy of Pauline van Dongen.