Vodafone wants your bikini or swim shorts to track your exposure to the sun and warn you if it’s getting excessive.

The telco has put quite some thought into its ‘Smart Summer’ concepts, showcasing the mass market potential of the ‘internet of things’ and anticipating a new generation of very low-cost, low-power and 10+ year battery life devices which could transform how people work, live and relax.

The company announced it has developed a suite of internet of things (IoT) concepts which include connected holiday essentials to help protect against UV rays, keep children safe on the beach and locate lost luggage.

The Smart Summer  bikini and men’s swim shorts are equipped with UV sensors that track exposure to sunlight throughout the day. A smartphone app notifies the user when they have had too much.

The swimwear also contains a small vibrating alert built into the waistband and strap. The child’s sun hat contains a UV sensor plus a low-powered Vodafone SIM and tracking device which sends a warning message to the parent’s phone if the child wanders beyond a pre-determined distance. The Smart Summer suitcase includes embedded tracking technology to enable the owner to geolocate missing luggage from their device.

In Association with

Lutfu Kitapci of Vodafone Ireland said: ”These concept designs showcase how far the internet of things could theoretically take us in the very near future. We know that connected products have already made our day-to-day lives easier when it comes to entertainment and lifestyle functionality. Now companies in every industry are embracing IoT technologies and see these as critical to their future. Vodafone’s Smart Summer concepts showcase the very real and tangible benefits IoT could provide to our health and well-being.”