Covid-19 Christmas sweater that ensures social distancing – it flashes and sounds alarm when people get too close
- Home security company SimpliSafe’s Social Distancing Sweater goes off when someone steps within six feet of the wearer
- It’s a playful way for people to protect themselves during this year’s holiday celebrations, company’s creative director says
American home security company SimpliSafe has unveiled a holiday sweater prototype that promotes social distancing by using alarms and flashing lights.
As the holiday season approaches and coronavirus cases continue to spike across the United States and other countries, more people have started considering whether it is safe or not to meet up with loved ones.
To tackle this problem, SimpliSafe designed the Social Distancing Sweater, which is rigged with motion sensors that set off the knitwear’s siren and flashing LED lights when someone steps within 6 feet (1.8 metres) of the sweater-wearer.
“As the experts on protection, albeit home protection, we wanted to give people a playful way to protect themselves during this year’s holiday celebrations,” SimpliSafe creative director Wade Devers said. “It’s really meant to bring some lightheartedness to a time that’s otherwise proven very stressful.”
Inadvertently, SimpliSafe is also highlighting how unevenly the pain of the pandemic is spread through the retail industry.
No parties to go to this year likely means fewer ugly sweater sales too. At the same time, sales for holiday decorations have gone way up, selling out at many stores, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
“Heading into the holiday season, it became clear that the typical stressors and logistics of the holidays were going to be exacerbated this year,” Devers said.
SimpliSafe’s holiday sweater is just a prototype, but the home security company is giving away versions of the knitwear without the tech and sensors.
Those who receive the sweater can then head to the company’s website for instructions on how to upgrade the knitwear with an alarm, lights and sensors.
Materials needed to DIY the sweater include a speaker, 3D-printed LED and sensor mounts, and an Adafruit “FeatherWing” music maker.
