BRUISE

Team Bruise, 2014

Making violence visible

Bruise uses pressure-sensitive film embedded in sports clothing to alert its wearer to injuries of all kinds, from fractures to soft tissue damage and joint trauma, it is intended for people who may otherwise be unable to tell when they’ve been injured due to nerve damage. The team at Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, who developed the technology, were inspired by paralympian Talan Skeels-Piggins. When the wearer sustains trauma the film changes color through a chemical reaction, leaving the location and severity of impact clear as bright red stains on the fabric surface.

Image courtesy of the designers.