A connected armband for construction workers

In early February, Ideas Laboratory© will supply Air Liquide, Bouygues Construction, and Suez with fifteen connected armband prototypes for factory and construction workers. 

With a display that lets workers pinpoint their location on a map, look at task lists and technical drawings, and send and receive safety alerts, the connected armband developed by Ideas Laboratory© is unique on the market. Today, factory and construction workers must rely on smartphone apps that rapidly reveal their limitations on the job.
A pre-prototype version of the connected armband was field tested at Air Liquide plants, on Bouygues construction sites, and on Suez waste-collection rounds, where it was exposed to harsh weather, impacts, dirt, and debris and subjected to inadvertent activation due to wearer error.

Pushbuttons instead of a touch screen

The tests gave wearers an opportunity to identify their needs more clearly: The display had to be easy to read, even in direct sunlight; it had to be usable with gloves (which was why the idea of a touch screen was abandoned in favor of pushbuttons); and it had to be able to operate for an entire workday between charges. It was also determined that the armband should have a limited number of functions to ensure ease of use and avoid distracting the wearer.
This user-centered approach to innovation resulted in a prototype that was very well accepted by the project partners. Manufacturers have also stated that they would be willing to produce the final product. The expected price would be €200. However, before volume manufacturing can begin, additional prototyping and user testing will be completed in 2018.

Contact: timothee.silvestre@cea.fr
Learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UZX8YuVFBY

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