During an evening of booze and hockey in the background my friend Andrew and I started to chatting about an idea for a hackable smart backpack intended to move the backpack from a passive container to a dynamic tool.
In an era of ever cheaper tools for embedding smart tools into watches, glasses, and t-shirts why have backpacks generally been left out of the realm of innovation. The HackPack would serve as a dynamic platform for makers and users to have access to smart tools. The minimum components in the HackPack would include an onboard battery, computer or microcontroller capable of bluetooth communication, and readily accessible ports for distributing data/power. The key feature of the HackPack package is the ability for the tools of the backpack to communicate with smart phones and other devices. The basic kit could be made into a small package according to set standards and intended to augment existing backpacks. A more consumer friendly version of this concept would come pre-built with a collection of sensors and displays to communicate with the owner.
In figure 1 you see a visual outline of what the HackPack's exterior could feature. The red lines indicate the placement of EL wire intended to display simple information, ex. someone going for a bike ride at night could have their changes in direction displayed by the character display on the back. The lights on the strap could be used to alert the user of useful information about the state of the HackPack, whether they have an appointment, etc.. In the side view of the HackPack there are 3 blue squares indicating where vibration pads could be placed in the straps of the back pack. The pattern and intensity of the pad's vibration would communicate any number of set messages, ranging from telling a hiker where they should be looking for their next course correction, to working with a social networking app to let you know a friend is nearby. The straps should also have simple button pads to allow users to communicate with the on board micro-controller with out requiring access to an additional tool. These basic features would be complimented by a collection of attachment points placed on the exterior and interior of the backpack, allowing users to add speakers, electrical generators, environmental quality sensors, the limits would be the imaginations of accessory engineers.
The Spec sheet for this backpack would look something like this
On-Board Computer: Arduino micro-controller with bluetooth shield, Rasberry Pi computer
Battery Pack: Capable of keeping computer and accessories online for at least 24 hours and charging a standard 2100 mAh cellphone battery at least 2 times
Communication Points: USB or 3 wire PWM compatible
Weight: 3 lbs or less for all basic kit components
Additional attachments could include.
Infrared communication system for laser tag and mesh networking
Geiger Counter
Wirelessly accessible hard-drive
Speakers
Electrical generators
Moisture Sensors
Video Camera
Projectors
RFID/NFC sensors for keeping track of interior elements (this idea was taken from here)
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/phorce/phorce-the-worlds-first-smart-bag
battery and tells you how much battery life is left via bluetooth
http://www.talk2myshirt.com/blog/archives/4197 weight sensing pack
http://gajitz.com/green-to-go-sustainable-multi-talented-electronic-backpack/ artsy fartsy deal
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2010/05/aniomagic-weight-sensitive-backpack/ weight sensing
http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/energy-generating-backpack.html energy generating backpack
http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/rechargeable-led-backpack-totes-your-stuff-keeps-cyclists-safe.html illuminated pack
http://www.digitaltrends.com/lifestyle/new-smart-clothes-will-be-able-to-adjust-to-your-moods/ smart clothes
http://thinkmag.net/think/tag/smart-clothes/ more smart clothes
http://healthinformatics.wikispaces.com/Smart+Clothes
Cool Ben Heck design hack for making a turn signal backpack attachment
http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/30/ben-heck-bicycle-turn-signal/
Smarter Jacket
Dynamic EL wiring that "knows" when the user wants to be seen and when not
bluetooth accessible for easy finding
In an era of ever cheaper tools for embedding smart tools into watches, glasses, and t-shirts why have backpacks generally been left out of the realm of innovation. The HackPack would serve as a dynamic platform for makers and users to have access to smart tools. The minimum components in the HackPack would include an onboard battery, computer or microcontroller capable of bluetooth communication, and readily accessible ports for distributing data/power. The key feature of the HackPack package is the ability for the tools of the backpack to communicate with smart phones and other devices. The basic kit could be made into a small package according to set standards and intended to augment existing backpacks. A more consumer friendly version of this concept would come pre-built with a collection of sensors and displays to communicate with the owner.
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| Figure 1 |
In figure 1 you see a visual outline of what the HackPack's exterior could feature. The red lines indicate the placement of EL wire intended to display simple information, ex. someone going for a bike ride at night could have their changes in direction displayed by the character display on the back. The lights on the strap could be used to alert the user of useful information about the state of the HackPack, whether they have an appointment, etc.. In the side view of the HackPack there are 3 blue squares indicating where vibration pads could be placed in the straps of the back pack. The pattern and intensity of the pad's vibration would communicate any number of set messages, ranging from telling a hiker where they should be looking for their next course correction, to working with a social networking app to let you know a friend is nearby. The straps should also have simple button pads to allow users to communicate with the on board micro-controller with out requiring access to an additional tool. These basic features would be complimented by a collection of attachment points placed on the exterior and interior of the backpack, allowing users to add speakers, electrical generators, environmental quality sensors, the limits would be the imaginations of accessory engineers.
The Spec sheet for this backpack would look something like this
On-Board Computer: Arduino micro-controller with bluetooth shield, Rasberry Pi computer
Battery Pack: Capable of keeping computer and accessories online for at least 24 hours and charging a standard 2100 mAh cellphone battery at least 2 times
Communication Points: USB or 3 wire PWM compatible
Weight: 3 lbs or less for all basic kit components
Additional attachments could include.
Infrared communication system for laser tag and mesh networking
Geiger Counter
Wirelessly accessible hard-drive
Speakers
Electrical generators
Moisture Sensors
Video Camera
Projectors
RFID/NFC sensors for keeping track of interior elements (this idea was taken from here)
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/phorce/phorce-the-worlds-first-smart-bag
battery and tells you how much battery life is left via bluetooth
http://www.talk2myshirt.com/blog/archives/4197 weight sensing pack
http://gajitz.com/green-to-go-sustainable-multi-talented-electronic-backpack/ artsy fartsy deal
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2010/05/aniomagic-weight-sensitive-backpack/ weight sensing
http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/energy-generating-backpack.html energy generating backpack
http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/rechargeable-led-backpack-totes-your-stuff-keeps-cyclists-safe.html illuminated pack
http://www.digitaltrends.com/lifestyle/new-smart-clothes-will-be-able-to-adjust-to-your-moods/ smart clothes
http://thinkmag.net/think/tag/smart-clothes/ more smart clothes
http://healthinformatics.wikispaces.com/Smart+Clothes
Cool Ben Heck design hack for making a turn signal backpack attachment
http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/30/ben-heck-bicycle-turn-signal/
Smarter Jacket
Dynamic EL wiring that "knows" when the user wants to be seen and when not
bluetooth accessible for easy finding
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