Perfect Poncho

Inspiration

Frigid outside temperatures paired with the inconvenience of carrying multiple layers and coats led to the idea for a 3 in one, all purpose fashionable garment.

What it does

The poncho is able to transform into a jacket or blanket and pillow set, with heating technology that ensures the wearer does not get cold while traveling or walking place-to-place.

How we built it

The poncho was created through pattern drafting for the perfect shape, and then multiple layers of fabric with heat, waterproofing, and protective qualities were added. Within the layers, we have Arduino, breadboards, heating pads, relay, source of power and a lot of wires. The programming for the Arduino was written in the language of C.

Challenges we ran into

Creating the pattern of the Poncho to make it multifunctional, in addition to finding the perfect closures to use to make sure the poncho is user friendly. The large technical challenge was properly creating the connections and finding the right components.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Successfully creating it in a way that takes advantage of its warmth and shape, and being able to create a temperature controlled garment.

What we learned

We learned to keep an open mind through the construction process, how to customize patterns, how to solder, and learning how to achieve the real-time body temperatures with the sensors.

What's next for Perfect Poncho

Creating doable, activewear versions for campers and hikers.