SINGAPORE - It is a jacket that simulates hugs. But more than that, the T.Jacket is a device that parents and caregivers can use to soothe and calm children with autism, its creator said.
The brainchild of 30-year-old James Teh, the T.Jacket resembles a windbreaker, but includes a vest-like device that users can control using an Android smartphone or tablet application to apply just the right amount of pressure to mimic a human embrace.
The technology was born out of Mr Teh's research while he was pursuing a doctorate at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2008. His study was on human-computer interaction with a specific focus on remote touch systems for family communication.
From a simple school project, he now hopes to manufacture the T.Jacket and make it available for sale by the end of the year.
Mr Teh did not set out to create the product especially for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but encounters with an industry expert and a mother whose child had autism convinced him that his technology could be of great use as a method in early intervention of the developmental disorder.
"We've come across many parents who have contacted us to volunteer their children for the trials. We can see the desperation from the parents and we understand why," Mr Teh said.
A person with autism generally finds loud noises and unfamiliar faces disturbing. For some, the way to cope is through deep touch pressure such as hugs. With the T.Jacket, Mr Teh says therapists and parents can make use of another device to help autistic children relieve their distress.
In July 2010, he won the NUS Xtra Chapter Challenge award and received S$15,000 to kick-start the business development for the T.Jacket.
After months of research on autism, Mr Teh started his company T.Ware in November.
Since its founding, T.Ware has collaborated with occupational therapists and the Autism Association of Singapore to further develop the product.
The T.Jacket is currently undergoing trials and fine-tuning, and is set to be priced between US$1,000 (S$1,250) and US$2,000 when it retails in the market.
Designed for individuals aged between four and 19, the T.Jacket features varying degrees of electronically inflated pressure - from soft, medium and hard hugs - applied at the shoulders, abdomen and back. These can be personalised based on the response of the child or the teen wearing it.
"We are very confident based on feedback that it will work. Of course, right now, we can't say 100 per cent, but with the presence of occupational therapists, who have been giving us feedback all these months, we are quite sure that we are not doing anything wrong. We listen to them very intently because they know better," said Mr Felix Lee who handles marketing for T.Ware.
Mr Teh estimates at least a US$1 billion market for the T.Jacket globally and has plans to introduce the product to the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Japan.
"It's something that we want to do because it helps children in Singapore. But in terms of sustaining the business, I think we are looking at a worldwide kind of market," Mr Teh said.
It is currently on the lookout for potential trial users, investors and partners to make this transition possible, and recently tied up with two organisations in Singapore and India to conduct trials.
"The target is to make it available by end of this year. If everything falls into place, we can do it. It's not as daunting compared to when I started a few years back because now we already have (the strategies) mapped out," Mr Teh said.
by Millet Enriquez
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