A new jacket could offer a guaranteed moment of peace - by preventing smartphones from ringing in the wearer's pocket using a metal mesh embedded in the lining.
The jacket automatically cuts off emails, texts and calls - and the prototype works now, according to British designer Victor Johansson.
Johansson's 'Escape Jacket' is lined with a mesh of aluminium which blocks radio waves from reaching the smartphone in the pocket.
As soon as a smartphone is placed in the jacket's lining, it cuts off - instantly terminating any calls, and offering a moment of peace.
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'The idea is that as soon as you leave work, or just want a break you put your phone in the inner pocket of the jacket and you terminate all connectivity,' says Johannson.
As well as aluminium strips which block radio waves, the jacket also has an NFC (Near Field Communication) chip in the pocket, which 'tells' the phone to turn off its aerial to save batteries.
'The design works!,' says Johansson. 'The pictures actually depict a working prototype but the NFC function is a bit limited though when it comes to compatible phones (most Sony Xperia smartphones works perfectly with the jacket since they have great NFC antennas and software). By using the pocket as an off switch you make mobile communication a bit more tangible, there is something very satisfactory about being angry and throwing your phone in your pocket to end a call.'
The jacket uses the principle of the 'Faraday cage', used to shield electrical cabling and to shield people from radiation from microwave ovens, where a mesh of conducting material (often aluminium) blocks electromagnetic signal.
'The whole project was done during my first year at Central St. Martins MA-Industrial design course,' says Johannson. It will shortly feature in a men's fashion magazine, and has already been shown off in an exhibition in Helsinki curated by Aalto University.
