The Techno-Bra
Created by Kursty Groves. The bra monitored the wearer’s heartbeat and contacted the police if there was a sudden change indicative of a panic response (suggesting that the wearer was being attacked or in danger). The bra was reportedly going to be manufactured and sold by the British design firm PDD, but as far as I can tell, it never made it to market.
Image source: Visual Arts Data Service
Discover magazine - October 1999
Atlanta Constitution - July 25, 1999
Comments
The bra would notify police in the case of an elevated heart rate because that may be an indication of the person being in distress? Or...the embarrassment when the police break down the door to find the wearer with an elevated heart rate not caused by being mugged/assaulted.
agent j
agent j
Posted by agent j on 01/22/19 at 09:05 AM
I wonder if Ms. Groves had any ideas for protective garments south of ones navel?
Posted by KDP on 01/22/19 at 09:57 AM
The men's underwear version was scrapped because the Tecno-Bra produced all falsie alarms.
Posted by Virtual on 01/22/19 at 11:30 AM
KDP, chastity belts already exist since the Middle Ages.
Posted by Yudith on 01/22/19 at 11:40 AM
So it wouldn’t be advisable to wear this while working out... or on a hot date.
Posted by Brian on 01/22/19 at 09:11 PM
It detects a panic response, a sudden increase in heart rate. Unless she's a microwave (gets hot instantly and goes 'ping' in thirty second), there's little likelihood sexual interest, or exercise, would trigger it.
When I had to wear a heart monitor 24/7, one of the nurses said I didn't have to worry about sex setting off the alarm because the increase in heart rate has a predictable slope which the unit automatically ignores.
When I had to wear a heart monitor 24/7, one of the nurses said I didn't have to worry about sex setting off the alarm because the increase in heart rate has a predictable slope which the unit automatically ignores.
Posted by Phideaux on 01/22/19 at 11:45 PM
However, it did happen that a full emergency team ran to a recent amputee's hospital room with full gear expecting him to be in cardiac arrest, just to surprise his girlfriend hurriedly putting her dress back into place. The cardiac monitor he was wearing showed fibrillation, not sex. This one was written by a cardiologist in his new book, so I believe it's real.
Posted by Yudith on 01/23/19 at 05:55 AM
Well, that was one for the book! 😉
I figured the unit I wore was essentially useless. If it detected trouble, it would alert a service, and they'd decide, based on GPS, whether to summon authorities. So if I was at home, they'd send someone, even if it meant paramedics crashing my party, but if I was at the mall, they'd ignore it, assuming I was surrounded by other people even if mall security has thrown me into a holding room for the two hour wait for cops to arrive who could explain to them that paying with a $2 bill isn't an attempt to pass counterfeit money.
I figured the unit I wore was essentially useless. If it detected trouble, it would alert a service, and they'd decide, based on GPS, whether to summon authorities. So if I was at home, they'd send someone, even if it meant paramedics crashing my party, but if I was at the mall, they'd ignore it, assuming I was surrounded by other people even if mall security has thrown me into a holding room for the two hour wait for cops to arrive who could explain to them that paying with a $2 bill isn't an attempt to pass counterfeit money.
Posted by Phideaux on 01/24/19 at 09:41 AM
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Category: Fashion | Underwear | 1990s