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Flirting Fail? Get Game With Ripple, The Wearable Tech That Senses Your Suitors

OKcupid, Tinder and Grindr might just be the dating tech of the past, as Ripple, a wearable device that lets you know when potential suitors are giving you the eye, sends waves through the streets of London. Expounding on the concept of their creation from a studio at the Royal College of Arts in London on Wednesday, the designers explained that Ripple is “kind of like your friend on your back …, amplifying your natural intuition as far as when people are interested in you." It does this by using cameras embedded in the tentacular design, recognising when people are looking, how long they look for, and the number of times they pay attention to you. Once Ripple realises you have a suitor, it will begin to send small ripples down your back. Luckily, there is a way to stop Ripple from picking up too much unwanted attention; according to one of the device’s designers Lyle Baumgarten “once you find out who made it start rippling then you have to say OK, I want to wave back at you, otherwise it just ignores them." The accessory is the creation of four art and engineering students at Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art.