7. Helping autism with a wearable compression vest
University of Minnesota researchers have developed a wearable to help people with autism.
Sometimes people with autism have heightened senses and need compression clothing to have a calming squeeze, according to an article from the Twin Cities’s local NBC station KARE. If someone is wearing compression clothing to help, they eventually have to take it off because they’ve become accustomed to the pressure. That can be disruptive.
The dynamic compression vest is made from materials that were originally made to send astronauts to Mars. It is a weighted vest that compresses and can be adjusted from an app on a smartphone. There is a battery and Bluetooth controller on the back of the vest, as well as a module to help tighten the vest. Pieces on the vest pull tight when a button is pressed on a smartphone, creating a calming effect for those with autism.