Wacky Applications Archives

Trapster: iPhone app warns of speed traps and cameras

Trapster, an iPhone application, alerts drivers to nearby speed traps, cameras, traffic, and other hazards with a map and, for cars with Bluetooth hands-free or stereo support, audio alerts.

Learn more about the Trapster app at http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10361909-233.html.

Vibrating Bluetooth Bracelet Watch

Tired of missing your calls because you didn’t hear it ring? Well, there is a solution. This Bluetooth enabled bracelet (that also doubles as a watch) will vibrate when you have an incoming call. With an LCD display, caller ID and more, this is definitely a gadget you will want to check out.

If you like this story you might also like to learn more about the Orb Bluetooth Headset, Bluetooth enabled necklaces and the Bluetooth enabled dress.

Techno-Fashion? Volution Bluetooth Headset

Techno-fashion? Designer Fandi Meng has designed a Bluetooth headset that looks like a fashionable earring that allows you to hear the person you are talking with even in a crowded club. Learn more ...

If you like this story you might also like to learn more about the Orb Bluetooth Headset, Bluetooth enabled necklaces and the Bluetooth enabled dress.

Talk to the Hand!

Instead of your typical Bluetooth enabled headset, try wearing just two small rings to answer your phone. The Color Rings by BCK design team is a unique concept that is both fun and fashionable. Check this out!

If you like this story you might also like to learn more about the Orb Bluetooth Headset, Bluetooth enabled necklaces and the Bluetooth enabled dress.

Hamachi With a Side of Bluetooth Technology Please!

A London restaurant offers Bluetooth enabled tables that allow diners to place electronic orders and even schedule their taxi home! The system works with projector screens and Bluetooth enabled tables that wirelessly tap into a point-of-sale system. Read the whole story to get the details and watch a video.

Bluetooth Enabled Stethoscope: The better to hear you with ...

The next time you drop by the doctor's, his acoustic listening implement may well sport Bluetooth wireless connectvity. 3M Health Care has announced the Littmann Electronic Stethoscope that can transmit lung, heart and body sounds wirelessly to a software for further analysis.  For more details, check this out:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10317330-1.html
http://www.slipperybrick.com/2009/08/3m-littman-electronic-stethoscope-with-bluetooth/

iPhone: Bag-Claim.com Introduces Bluetooth Enable Baggage Claim

A traveler’s paradise!  Just got off the plane after a long flight? Well, just sit back, relax and wait for your bag to tell you when it is ready to be picked up. Bag-Claim is a new application which connects a Bluetooth enabled wireless speaker (that you place in your bag) with an iPhone sending its owner a continuous alert that their luggage is in close proximity and ready to be collected.

Learn more here.

Bluetooth enabled Modula Therapy Lamp

Feeling blue or green with envy? The Modula Colour Therapy Lamp is powered by LEDs that can change the color of the light to suit your mood. The color changing properties of this light can be controlled from a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. How does it work? Check out this demo and see for yourself!

Orb Bluetooth headset

With a unique form factor, the Orb Bluetooth headset transforms from a ring—a real one that you can wear on your finger—to a fully-functioning Bluetooth enabled headset.

If you like this story you might also like to learn more about Bluetooth enabled necklaces and the Bluetooth enabled dress.

iPhone and Wii Remote Linked

Bluetooth technology enthusiasts have linked a motion-sensing Nintendo Wii remote and an Apple iPhone using Bluetooth wireless technology. The simple demonstration shows the possibility of controlling an iPhone application with a Bluetooth enabled remote control.

If you like this application of Bluetooth wireless technology you may also enjoy Human Space Invaders and the PowerGlove.

iSamurai Bluetooth iPhone Game

Developed for the iPhone, iSamurai is a game that lets players use their iPhones as “swords”, with the iPhone able to sense four different striking and blocking motions. Bluetooth technology connects the two players’ phones are connected, allowing live head-to-head competition.

See more picturess and videos here: http://isamuraiapp.com/

If you find this application of Bluetooth technology interesting you might also enjoy the Human Space Invaders and the PowerGlove.

Nintendo Wiimote Tennis Coach

Tennis enthusiast Mans Shapshak takes a Nintendo Wii remote to the real tennis court, strapping the controller to his arm while practicing. Bluetooth wireless technology connects the remote to a notebook computer, which calculates the position and motion of the remote to track the accuracy of his strokes.

If you like this application of Bluetooth wireless technology you may also enjoy Human Space Invaders and the PowerGlove.

Bluetooth Dog Camera

Bluetooth wireless technology has made miniature video cameras—or webcams—small and portable enough to work in some very unusual places—including on a dog’s collar. This Bluetooth enabled camera can project video to a personal computer wirelessly with a range of 25 feet.

Read the whole story here.

Bluetooth Enabled Dress

Dresses have just been added to the long list of things that can be made better with Bluetooth technology. The high-tech dress, designed by a London fashion student and modeled by tennis star and Sony Ericsson spokesperson Maria Sharapova, uses Bluetooth technology to connect to the wearer's mobile phone, lighting up to indicate that the phone is ringing.

If you like this story you might also like to learn more about Bluetooth enabled necklaces.

eSoles Bluetooth Enabled Shoe Insole

Start-up company eSoles has unveiled a Bluetooth enabled shoe insert that lets you keep track of your workout on your mobile phone while running, cycling, walking, skiing, and even jumping rope. The customized insole features 11 pressure sensors and transmits data, including cadence, power output, balance, speed, and distance to your mobile phone using Bluetooth wireless technology.

A prototype of the shoe insert is being tested now, with a release to consumers expected in late 2010.

BlueGuard Bluetooth enabled door opener

This automatic door opener turns a mobile phone into a wireless key. The BlueGuard can detect up to 10 Bluetooth mobile phones, giving access to authorized individuals without the need to swipe a card. It works with gates, overhead doors, and parking barriers for industrial use.

Read more

Red Bull Helmet Camera

The Red Bull Action Cam, developed by Austrian cellular carrier Red Bull Mobile, is a video camera that mounts to a cyclist's helmet or handlebars for capturing action shots. Water- and shockproof, the camera allows instant viewing of recorded video, sending video clips via Bluetooth technology to a mobile phone.

More info here (in German): http://diepresse.com/home/techscience/hightech/477423/index.do?from=suche.intern.portal

Interested in more stories like this? Check out the TriSpecs Bluetooth Sunglasses, Shoe Phone and Hug Shirt in the Wacky Applications Archive.

Vena-Enabled Asthma Inhaler adds IR and Bluetooth Connectivity

The Vena respirator marks the first demo unit and will connect via smartphone or computer to help keep track of when it's being used and can provide reminders for patients who need to scheduled doses. The information can also be sent to relevant doctors and anonymously to health care specialists who like to mine these numbers and find trends.

Read more

Human Space Invaders

Bluetooth technology features in this wacky re-creation of a video game classic. A player acts as his own game controller, moving left and right while a camera tracks his movements and turns them into game inputs. The game is displayed on a video projector, while a Bluetooth wireless monitor keeps track of the player’s heart rate, which can also be used to vary the difficulty of the game.

Read more and see a video here.

If you like this story check out Bluetooth Wireless Technology Updates Nintendo Power Glove for the Wii Era.

Casmobot Robotic Lawn Mower

Casmobot is an acronym for Computer Assisted Slope Mowing Robot. The Casmobot project was launched as a demonstration project within the Plant Nursing Robotics project, and the Casmobot vision is to design and develop an application module for slope mowers which enables them to perform the mowing semi-autonomous.

The Casmobot can be controlled by a standard Nintendo Wii remote, connecting to the remote via Bluetooth wireless technology.

Visit the Casmobot web site for more information.

You may also be interested in LEGO Mindstorms NXT.

Bluetooth Wireless Technology Updates Nintendo Power Glove for the Wii Era

Instructables offers a video guide to turn an old Nintendo Power Glove into a gaming peripheral suitable for the modern era, including an accelerometer and Bluetooth wireless technology.

The update to the Power Glove arrives on the 20th anniversary of the original Glove. The video gives detailed instructions for how to add Bluetooth technology to your own Power Glove and includes a demonstration of the glove working with an iPhone boxing game.

Power Glove 20th Anniversary Edition — Build Video from Matt Mechtley on Vimeo.

TriSpecs Bluetooth Sunglasses

Bluetooth wireless technology added to sunglasses is nothing new, but past attempts at making Bluetooth enabled sunglasses usually resulted in something that looked more like a Star Trek prop than a fashion item.

The TriSpecs sunglasses actually look like a normal pair of sunglasses, and the optics are Sola, one of the top of the range glasses made by Carl Zeiss. Of course, since the arms house the electronics, you can easily tell them from "normal" sunglasses.

Interested in more stories like this? Check out the Shoe Phone and Hug Shirt.

Bluetooth Enabled Necklace Design Competition

Japanese design web site Tokyoflash published the results of a competition among designers to imagine the possibilities for Bluetooth enabled necklaces. The results include devices resembling dice, credit cards and dog tags. Bluetooth functions range from controlling a Bluetooth enabled phone or music player to alerting the wearer of an incoming call.

Sony Rolly™ Sound Entertainment Player

The Rolly™ Sound Entertainment Player is truly multi-faceted. It plays music. It dances. It's an expression of your personality and how you hear your music. At its core, the Rolly Sound Entertainment Player is a robotic device that plays back music and can be programmed to dance to any of the music uploaded to it. In addition, it is a fun device to discover. Rather than looking at a screen to play music, there are different motions that you use to change the song, raise the volume and make it dance. With its Bluetooth capability you can play music wirelessly from other devices such as your mobile phone or PC.

UK Bluetooth Enabled Crime Prevention Program

Public authorities in the United Kingdom have begun using Bluetooth technology for public service announcements, warning local citizens of high-risk activities and informing area youngsters about safe habits. The short videos contain tips to prevent home and car break-ins, warnings about excessive alcohol consumption and drug use, and even a rap music video encouraging local kids to stop carrying knives.

People can download and watch the short videos on their mobile phones using Bluetooth technology. Police and project staff walk through public areas carrying a transmitter enabled with Bluetooth technology in a backpack. People nearby with Bluetooth enabled mobile phones are notified that they can download the videos. Once they have received the videos on their phones, they can share them with friends, transferring them between phones using Bluetooth technology.

Bluetooth crime prevention programs have been rolled out in several cities and regions in the UK, and police have been pleased with the results so far.

Siftables

Siftables are cookie-sized computers with motion sensing, neighbor detection, graphical display, and wireless communication. They act in concert to form a single interface: users physically manipulate them - piling, grouping, sorting - to interact with digital information and media. Siftables provides a new platform on which to implement tangible, visual and mobile applications.

Each Siftable includes its own color screen and a 3-axis accelerometer to detect movement. Infrared communication modules allow blocks to talk to other blocks nearby, and the blocks connect to a computer, phone or PDA via Bluetooth wireless technology.

Shoe Phone – Flinders University, Australia

Maxwell Smart, the bumbling comic spy in the 1960s television series Get Smart, frequently used his ‘shoe phone’ to report his latest predicament to The Chief at CONTROL. Now a computer scientist at Flinders University, in Adelaide, Australia, has combined the latest telecommunications components inside an ordinary pair of shoes to produce the real thing. One shoe contains a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone and remains on your foot—the other shoe, which is the shoe you pick up and answer, contains a Bluetooth enabled headset.

While it was devised as a prop for an amateur theatre production, Flinders post-doctoral fellow in bioinformatics, Paul Gardner-Stephen, realized the concepts behind the shoe phone have potential for the development of biomedical devices.

“Relaying voice communications via a shoe is technologically similar to relaying medical data for remote patient monitoring, such as pulse, blood pressure, blood oxygenation and so forth,” Dr Gardner-Stephen says. “And a shoe is a good location for housing the electronics required for storing and communicating these measurements.  Shoes are well accepted by most people, and are simple to put on and take off.”

Adidas / ATM Sport Electronic Body Protector (EBP)

Taekwondo’s literal Korean translation is “the way of the foot and fist.” Tournament opponents rain hand strikes and deliver kicks with lightning speed. How do you keep accurate score? With Bluetooth technology, of course, built into a vest that both protects an athlete’s torso and wirelessly signals a scoring device that a permitted blow has been successfully delivered.

ATM Sport – Handel GmbH & Co. KG, a fi rm based near Munich, Germany, has developed the Electronic Body Protector (EBP) in an exclusive branding partnership with adidas. The EBP is a Bluetooth enabled version of the traditional hogu, a protective vest and scoring target required in tournaments sanctioned by the World Taekwondo Federation, one of two primary international governing bodies of the sport and the one under which athletes compete at Olympic events.

LEGO Mindstorms NXT

Designed in collaboration with robotics experts and Lego enthusiasts, the new Lego Mindstorms NXT allows builders to create an infinite variety of robot designs, while the built-in Bluetooth wireless technology enables remote control and wireless interaction via a cell phone or PDA.

At the heart of the robotics kit is the new NXT brick, featuring a 32-bit microprocessor and Bluetooth wireless technology. Users can upload their programs to the NXT wirelessly using their Bluetooth enabled computer. The NXT brick’s Bluetooth technology then allows two-way communication between the robot and a mobile phone or PDA. The mobile phone can function as a remote control, and the robot can also be programmed to command functions on the phone—for example, snapping a photo on the phone’s camera when one of the robot’s sensors is activated. A variety of sensors—motion-sensitive ultrasonic sensors, along with light, sound, and touch sensors—ensure that users’ robotic creations can respond and interact fully with their environment. An intuitive programming interface, available in both PC and Mac versions, allows robots to be quickly and easily programmed to perform a wide variety of tasks.

CuteCircuit Hug Shirt

The Hug Shirt™ is a shirt that makes people send hugs over distance! Embedded in the shirt there are sensors that feel the strength of the touch, the skin warmth and the heartbeat rate of the sender and actuators that recreate the sensation of touch, warmth and emotion of the hug to the shirt of the distant loved one.

The Hug Shirt™ is a Bluetooth accessory for Java enabled mobile phones. Hug Shirt™s don’t have any assigned phone number, all the data goes from the Bluetooth enabled sensors to your mobile phone and your mobile phone delivers the hug data to your friend’s phone and it is seamlessly transmitted via Bluetooth technology to his or her shirt!

Sending hugs is as easy as sending an SMS and you will be able to send hugs while you are on the move, in the same way and to the same places you are able to make phone calls (Rome to Tokyo, New York to Paris).

Ratleads GroundSurf

Most surfers and skateboarders dream of combining their two activities—enabling the best of both surf and turf. This dream of ground surfing is now possible with the GroundSurf board a three-wheeled, electrically-powered contraption with a two-wheel truck on the back, similar to a skateboard, but extended backwards. The real invention of ground surfing is about the combination of four essential surf technical features and the GroundSurf fulfils the four big technical requirements:

• A system of sensors mounted directly on the board allows riders to accelerate or slow down by shifting their weight forwards or back.
• Carving is possible with a 3D rear truck that enables the board to tilt 45°.
• The sensation of a good wave is reproduced with a front wheel motor that is specially designed to reproduce the wave push.
• A presence detection system acts like a virtual leash and automatically stops the board less than 2m from the rider if she falls off.

The Groundsurf board also offers an optional control system, a touch screen Bluetooth enabled mobile phone that is fitted with a “GroundSurf Mobile Remote” interface. With the remote, riders can speed up or slow down simply by moving their thumb over the screen. The remote provides the same effect as shifting body weight on the GroundSurf board pressure sensors.