Mention the words “sports bra” to a group of women and you’re likely to see some grimaces. That’s largely because it’s damn near impossible to find one that doesn’t either squeeze too tightly or allow for too much movement. The latter is annoying at best and pretty painful at worst. Thankfully, science has been working on this problem for longer than we would have thought. Professors at the University of Wollongong in Australia are working on a “bionic” bra that will adjust its tightness automatically based on the wearer’s movement.

According to the researchers working on the project, up to 85 percent of women wearing bras that either do not fit correctly or do not provide adequate support. They envisioned a solution years ago, but technology is just now catching up to their vision of smart yarn that can tighten or loosen in response to movement. Their current work uses new sensing technologies and actuators to “feel” the movement of the breasts and provide proper support.

The bra would be looser in response to a resting state and more supportive when activity is detected – say, when the wearer starts jogging. This innovation would mean there’s no need to change bras before and after a workout (a reasonably not-sweaty one, anyway) or to worry about breast pain when running to catch a bus. The researchers say we’re still several years away from being able to buy bionic bras, but they’re confident – and we have to agree – that when it’s finally ready to be sold and worn, it will change bra wearing forever.

The post Sewing the Dream: Bra Adjusts Support Based on Activity first appeared on Gajitz.

We remember when bras did what they were supposed to and very little else. Apparently the technology age has changed that and now even our lingerie is wired, for better or worse. These two conceptual brassieres use technology to perform some high-tech (and very sexist) deeds.

The True Love Tester bra from Japanese lingerie company Ravijour is supposed to be “a revolutionary bra that knows how women truly feel.” The bra is equipped with sensors that are supposed to recognize the wearer’s differing heart rates during a variety of activities. The front clasp only opens when the wearer experiences “true love” as determined by an associated smartphone app.

The apparent purpose of the Love Tester Bra is to keep vulnerable women from having casual flings, ignoring the fact that women are smart enough to make their own decisions. The ridiculous concept doesn’t explain what happens when a wearer runs into her true love on the street and her bra flies open – we aren’t even sure how you might get into and out of the bra every day.

Perhaps more useful and associated with a more reputable company, this bra is meant to stop women from indulging in emotional eating. Researchers from Microsoft, the University of Southampton (UK), and the University of Rochester (NY) came together to develop a tool that would recognize and help prevent emotional eating. The bra is full of sensors that measure the wearer’s vital signs, which are then sent through an app that is supposed to determine the wearer’s emotional state.

Along with the bra’s sensors, users can rely on the smartphone app to help them stop emotional eating. The app would allow users to log their food intake and emotional states day by day, making a connection between emotions and eating. It may seem as sexist as the Love Tester Bra, but the researchers say that they chose a bra only because it rests close to the heart all day, and men don’t typically wear a similar garment. The bra and app were found to be 75 percent accurate in determining the wearer’s emotional state, but it probably won’t be put into production anytime soon.

The post Fancy Foundations: 2 Highly Insane High-Tech Bra Concepts first appeared on Gajitz.

Although lots of us seem to have an aversion to urine, the truth is that our pee can tell us a lot about our health. Pregnant women in particular can benefit from regular urine analysis to ensure that their pregnancy is progressing as normal. The oddly-named “Pregnancy Control Device” from designer Luis Pedro Castanheira Almeida helps mothers-to-be keep an eye on their pee.

The small decorative device lets expectant moms take a daily urine test to check levels of proteins, ketones, bacteria and sugars – all of which can indicate problems with the mother’s health. The testing gadget can also indicate other dangerous conditions like kidney or bladder infections, pre-eclampsia and dehydration.

Luckily for the appearance-conscious mom, the device does not indicate its purpose in any way. It looks almost like a bar of soap or some other innocuous bathroom accessory. When the specimen is inserted, the decorative designs and brand name change color to indicate several possible color-coded results. A USB port lets users track and transmit results easily.

It may not seem like an entirely necessary testing device to have in the home, but the popularity of home ultrasound and heart monitor machines have proven that pregnant women want more control over their own pregnancies. Since many expectant mothers are nervous about their health and want to be constantly aware of the state of their health, home health monitors like this one are bound to become more and more popular.

The post Pee-ce of Mind: Smart Home Test Reads Moms’ Urine first appeared on Gajitz.