Project Calico: Wearable Chemical Sensors for Environmental Monitoring

TL;DR

Project Calico introduces wearable, color-changing chemical sensors integrated into fashion accessories to visually monitor environmental UV exposure, making invisible hazards perceptible and raising awareness.

Contribution

It demonstrates novel UV-sensitive fashion accessories using existing cosmetic and fabrication techniques for environmental monitoring.

Findings

Positive user feedback from focus groups.

Effective visual indication of UV exposure.

Potential for widespread adoption of wearable sensors.

Abstract

Environmental hazards often go unnoticed because they are invisible to the naked eye, posing risks to our health over time. Project Calico aims to raise awareness of these risks by augmenting everyday fashion with color-changing chemical sensors that can be observed at a glance or captured by a smartphone camera. Project Calico leverages existing cosmetic and fabrication processes to democratize environmental sensing, enabling creators to make their own accessories. We present two fashionable instantiations of Project Calico involving UV irradiation. EcoHair, created by hair treatment, is UV-sensitive hair that intensifies in color saturation depending on the UV intensity. EcoPatches, created by inkjet printing, can be worn as temporary tattoos that change their color to reflect cumulative UV exposure over time. We present findings from two focus groups regarding the Project Calico vision and gathered insights from their overall impressions and projected use patterns.