Fashion designers are increasingly experimenting with new possibilities afforded by 3D printers (take a look at some 3D printed shoes) and ubiquitous electronics like LEDs. Now a group from South Korea has created an illuminated hat that combines these technologies with a tilt sensor, that is sure to turn heads.
The so-called Gravity of Light hat is an interactive wearable art project created by Younghi Kim and Yejin Cho, that was fabricated on a 3D printer with embedded electronics. It has a knitted appearance where each "knot" actually contains an individual LED that turns on and off depending on the tilt of your head, giving the impression they are flowing with gravity.
Its creators haven't announced any plans to mass produce the hat, but such a venture seems like a great candidate for crowd-funding. The project received funding from the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, Seoul Art Space GEUMCHEON (as part of the 2012 Da Vinci Idea Competition Grant), and is supported by the Hongik University WCU Digital Media Public Art Lab.
As this technology continues to proliferate, the future may look more like TRON than most people might expect.
