Control your smartphone without touching it using Bluetooth gloves

Definitely helpful when bundled up in snow gear, the BearTek gloves can help you switch between songs without having to pull out your phone.

Detailed within a new Kickstarter project launched recently, a company called Blue Infusions Technologies has developed a pair of gloves that use Bluetooth and finger gestures to control an iPhone or Android smartphone. Slightly more bulky than a standard set of gloves, the heavy duty BEARTek gloves are being targeted at people that spend time out on the slopes on a snowboard or skis as well as people that like to ride motorcycles. Rather than having to take off a traditional pair of gloves and unzip clothing to find a smartphone, the user wearing the BEARTek gloves can control music as well as answer the phone without taking off any clothing. 

After a smartphone has been paired over Bluetooth with the BEARTek gloves, the user will be able to tap six different contact points on the gloves to trigger actions on the smartphone. The contact points are located on the index, middle and ring fingers.

A large contact point is placed on the thumb which is used to interact with the six points. Actions assigned to the contact points include answering or ending calls, raising or lowering the volume as well as switching between songs on an album. 

In addition to working with the iOS and Android software, the BEARTek gloves work with music applications such as Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio and Slacker Radio. The user can also pair the smartphone with a Bluetooth headset to go completely wireless. Regarding design, the gloves have leather on the palm and fingertips. In addition, the gloves are waterproof in order to protect the Bluetooth module inside the lining.

In order to kick off mass production of the gloves, the creators of the BEARTek gloves are seeking $50,000 on the Kickstarter project. The gloves are currently priced at $150 and have a delivery date of April 2013. However, there’s also a $250 level that has an “early bird” delivery date of January 2013.