Frog Design's vision of wearable tech (pictures)

Breathe in the AirWaves mask, one of eight winning wearable technology concepts spawned by an internal competition at Frog Design. Hailing from Shanghai, AirWaves takes the idea of a pollution mask and turns it high tech. The idea is for the mask to monitor pollution levels and share that data with other wearers, creating a collective map showing which areas of a city to avoid.

The CompassGo wearable technology design concept has the aim of "returning serendipity to the connected city." This handheld compass leads users to unusual nooks and corners of a city based on their interests in things like shopping, food, or culture. It adds an element of discovery to the exploration, something often lost in carefully sculpted tourist schedules.

The Hello World DIY kit concept aims to help build the next generation of makers. The kit is geared for preteen girls as a fun entrance into the maker world. It consists of Arduino projects that require no programming skills. A modular design gives the whole kit a tremendous amount of flexibility. Hello World is one of eight winning concepts in a wearable technology design competition sponsored by Frog Design.

From the Frog Design group's Munich office comes the Icho, a navigation aid concept that would augment a blind person's experience when navigating urban spaces. The handheld device works a bit like a cane, but uses sonar proximity sensors, gyroscope technology, and haptic feedback to lead users around and help connect them to local businesses and organizations. The creators are already developing mock-ups of how the technology might work.

The Kinetik design concept emerged as a top idea in design group Frog's internal wearable technology competition. The idea is to have a wearable object that could be worn on the wrist or attached to bike spokes that would track and harness energy given off by movements. Ideally, it would store enough energy to be able to power a mobile device like a phone.

Frog Design's Amsterdam studio came up with a wearable technology idea that makes friendship bracelets interactive. The bracelet works with a smartphone to capture events, like photos and music from a wedding. Bands can be linked to share and create collective memories. The Mnemo bracelet is one of eight top concepts from design group Frog's internal wearable technology competition.

Navigating the New York subway system can be a bit of a challenge. What if you could turn to a bracelet to show you the way around? The Relay connected accessory concept would alert the rider to train arrival times, approaching stops, and the color of the subway line, as well as show available transfers. This nifty concept is a top design from Frog's internal wearable technology competition.

From the Austin, Texas, studio of Frog Design comes a wearable technology concept that's wearable by trees. The Tree Voice interactive display lets people commune with trees using technology. Sensors collect data like temperature, noise, and pollution levels. People can walk up to the tree and interact with a display and receive updates on the local environment.