Google’s Project Jacquard touch-sensitive fabric technology was first disclosed at the Google I/O conference in 2015.Now, interested third-party developers can integrate this technology with their own software through the new Jacquard SDK.
Prior to this, only a few companies signed Jacquard, including Levi’s, Samsonite and Yves Saint Laurent. Developers can now use the SDK to integrate Jacquard tags and connect their sensors with their applications to exchange touch and motion data.
Samsonite’s Konnect-i backpack is one of the few products that integrates touch-sensitive fibers
Google’s ATAP (Advanced Technology and Projects) team announced the first partnership with Levi’s in 2015. Two years later, with the release of Levi’s commuter jacket in 2017, Jacquard technology was introduced to customers’ cuffs.
This jacket is quite expensive, starting at $350. Two years after its first release in 2017, Jacquard was redesigned into a smaller label and integrated into another Levi’s product line at a lower price.
Only one question was asked in the FAQ section of the SDK website. “Can anyone add new capabilities to the official Jacquard application?” Google’s answer to this is very short: “No, the current Jacquard application remains the same. How well external developers accept Jacquard, and how can they learn from Google It remains to be seen how much support is received.
The release of the SDK means that GoogleATAP can give up this child who seems to be their burden, and give Jacquard a few more practical opportunities in life to prove that it can do more than just wearing it and skipping the music tracks of the player.