Rainy Days and Self-Drying Jackets Never Get You Down

Unlike that old song by the Carpenters, rainy days and Mondays don't necessarily have to 'get you down.' Rain and rainwear certainly  can be a drag, or at least they used to be before the introduction of the SDJ-01, the self-drying jacket inspired by Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly from Back to the Future II. Although not an exact replica of the jacket worn by Michael J. Fox as it doesn't have the auto-adjust feature and it cannot speak, it promises to get the job done when the assignment is staying dry on a rainy day.

Who is Falyon Tech

There's not a lot known about the tech start-up, Falyon, and even their two Kickstarter pages indicate two bases of operation; one in Beijing, China and the other in San Francisco, California. Wherever they are or were, there is no doubt that this innovative start-up has created the world's first automated self-drying jacket. Although the company is still uncertain as to where the garment will be sold after the Kickstarter campaign ends, they do expect that the jacket will become an e-commerce product.

According to Falyon co-founder, Aaron Coleman, "There's more to this jacket than just emulating Marty McFly.  Once we really delved into the project and got to know the wearable tech scene, we began to feel that it's really stunning the kinds of things people are doing with wearable tech these days.

Some special features of the SDJ-01

The self-drying jacket (SDJ) is 100% original in design and is made with the highest quality nylon with rayon synthetic insulation, which are known for their water-resistance and quick drying capabilities. The garment uses amplifiers mounted onto the jacket, which run on a built-in, removable, rechargeable cell and weigh about 4 ounces each. Although it appears to be just an ordinary ski jacket, all is not as it seems. The interior hides a few pockets: a very large one for a tablet on the lower right and a cell pocket which provides enough power to keep the fans running for up to 30 minutes and can be recharged either inside or outside the pocket.

Features of the SDJ-01
^{Watchfaceaday}

SDJ-01 Special Pockets
^Kickstarter

How does this special jacket work?

A power button near the bottom of the zipper activates the air amplifiers, which maintain the pressure of air flow and maximize drying capacity by functioning in the enclosed space between the jacket's exterior and the inner lining. These  amplifiers redirect and circulate the air at rates comparable to a hair dryer. Once again, according to Coleman : "Since the air only escapes in small quantities, this means the jacket gets maximum exposure to high pressure, high flows and currents, and it dries from the inside out."

The future of the self-drying jacket

While Back to the Future may be a film never entirely in the past, the self-drying jacket  may or may not take its place in wearable tech's hall of fame. Still, things look promising and one can only hope that a back to the future in this case includes the success of the self-drying jacket and the start-up, Falyon.

In what other ways has wearable tech created products that have improved our ability to deal with our environment?

Closing thoughts on rain:

The best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow