WEARABLES
SpiderSense suit delivers superhuman
perception
By Jonathan Fincher
March 11, 2013
VIEW 9 IMAGES
Using a collection of sensors placed all over the body, the SpiderSense suit detects objects in the
environment and warns the wearer when anything gets too close (Photo Credit: Lance Long, EVL)
VIEW GALLERY - 9 IMAGES
In the Spider-Man comics and movies, the famous hero's "Spider Sense" warns him of
incoming danger, which proves to be just as important a superpower as slinging webs and
climbing walls. Now a group of researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago may have
found a way to replicate such superhuman perception that doesn't involve any radioactive
spiders. Using a collection of sensors placed all over the body, the group has designed a
"SpiderSense" suit that detects objects in the environment and warns the wearer when
anything gets too close.
With a tongue-in-cheek name like "SpiderSense," the suit might conjure images of someone
clad in spandex dodging attacks from a supervillain, but the designers have some applications
in mind that are more grounded in reality. Aside from the clear advantage it could give to
visually or hearing impaired users, the sensors could help in other situations that might need
the extra spatial awareness (like remen navigating smoke- lled rooms or cyclists riding on
busy roads).
SpiderSense consists of thirteen sensor modules placed on various parts of the body – arms,
legs, chest, back, forehead, etc. – and connected to a controller box with 10-pin ribbon cables.
Each module contains an ultrasonic distance sensor that detects objects up to about 17 feet
(approx. 5 meters) and a rotary servomotor connected to a pressure arm.
SpiderSense consists of thirteen sensor modules placed on various parts of the body - arms, legs, chest,
back, forehead, etc. - and connected to a controller box
Much like radar, the sensors send pulses and then listen for the re ections, while the
controller box ensures there is no interference between the various sensors. Once a module
detects an object, the servomotor rotates the attached arm to press onto the wearer's body
with the pressure increasing as the object gets closer.
The suit was created by a team consisting of Victor Mateevitsi, Brad Haggadone, Jason Leigh,
Robert Kenyon, and Brian Kunzer, all of whom also authored a research paper on the
development of the SpiderSense. Mateevitsi presented the suit just last week at the 4th
Augmented Human International Conference in Stuttgart, Germany.
The researchers also tested out the SpiderSense by blindfolding some volunteers and having
them perform a few simple tasks like walking down a busy walkway and throwing cardboard
ninja stars at certain targets. The test subjects had no trouble walking down hallways and
detecting obstacles, but they did have some dif culty navigating through library bookshelves.
Using a collection of sensors placed all over the body, the SpiderSense suit detects objects in the
environment and warns the wearer when anything gets too close (Photo Credit: Lance Long, EVL)
It's still a rough concept, but it's not hard to see how a set of wearable motion sensors could
bene t a wide range of users. Even replacing the modules with different components (e.g.
radiation sensors) opens the idea up to all sorts of safety uses. In the future, the team plans to
test the SpiderSense with the visually impaired, ne tune the suit's detection range, and
explore connecting the sensors wirelessly via Bluetooth.
Source: UIC via Victor Mateevitsi
VIEW GALLERY - 9 IMAGES
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MOTION SENSOR
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
Jonathan Fincher
Jonathan grew up in Norway, China, and Trinidad before graduating lm school and becoming an online
writer covering green technology, history and design, as well as contributing to video game news sites like
Filefront and 1Up. He currently resides in Texas, where his passions include video games, comics, and
boring people who don't want to talk about either of those things.
7 COMMENTS
Sign in to post a comment.
Joseph Boe
MARCH 11, 2013 12:41 PM
It seems that humans have always had a low level ability to detect their surroundings. It seems
- in my experience at least to be some sort of ability to sense a change in air pressure
combined with an ability to detect a change in how sound ...uhh...sounds. Walking down a
hallway in pitch black darkness, you can "feel" that you're getting close to a wall. It is as if the
air seems heavier. On the hearing part, it is like the that muf ed quiet you feel during a
snowfall. I've often wondered if these senses could be hightened or modi ed to be made more
acute.
Racqia Dvorak
MARCH 11, 2013 12:43 PM
I could de nitely see this being useful to the blind
Joshua Fan
MARCH 11, 2013 04:06 PM
For superheroes, it's not the presence of an object that's a danger, but an object coming in at
an collision trajectory that deserves a warning. The controller package should calculate over
several measurements if an obstacle is getting closer towards you. Then the library
bookshelves won't be a problem.
waltinseattle
MARCH 12, 2013 02:47 PM
good for some uses. spindeyman adventures are not one. tooslow..which brings us to my
other reply thread...@ joe boe. there is a natural way known to martisl arts. it does not rely on
pressure of air (which is an easy one to sharpen) or whatever causesyou to stop before the
branch cuts you at night in the woods...it is based on the now investigated by science facts
about what the brain does before you move. intention can be monitored from sensors on the
heads surface. a yes or a no repky can be determined before the answerer is himself "aware"
what he will say. martial artists might take on a dozen opponents in the dark by relying on
eld sensing capabilities and the innate capabilities can be honned by propper training.
Gerard Wenham
MARCH 12, 2013 02:58 PM
"Use the Force, Luke!" ;-) My roboticized self-driving car will DEFINITELY need this!
Stephen N Russell
MARCH 12, 2013 09:43 PM
Ideal for the blind, physically disabled,Spec Forces, PD SWAT force, Joe PI? Gaming Live,
COSPlay use?, PR Spiderman movies??, For Rescue IE PM night role. Home security with
access to pistol, Mace, pepper spray??
Gargamoth
MARCH 13, 2013 12:09 AM
after re ning this suit, send me one. it's just too awesome not to have.
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