The Teijin Group has recently announced that it will take over SmartShoulder, an innovative wearable tool offers safety to the service engineers. SmartShoulder is developed by a Dutch consulting and training company, Crossover. The Teijin Group will be investigating the feasibility of further developing and commercialising SmartShoulder.

SmartShoulder incorporates wearable sensors which connect to a smartphone. It has autonomous lighting, detects if the wearer is in a man-down situation and makes emergency calls.

In the previous project phase, a SmartShoulder prototype was tested with mechanics and technicians. Teijin will now take over the next phase of the project from CrossOver, first by investigating compatibility with current safety regulations for industrial workwear and electronics.

Gerben de Bree, Senior Manager-New Business Development, Teijin said, “The SmartShoulder concept fits perfectly with our total safety solution provider (TSSP) strategy as a potentially active safety solution for service engineers not only in the Netherlands but worldwide. We will co-develop the SmartShoulder closely with our TSSP partner Elitac B.V., a Dutch startup company that develops smart textiles and clothing integrated with wearable sensing and actuating devices, for its technology infrastructure, platform and for commercialisation.”

Bernold Nieuwesteeg, Co-founder & Partner at CrossOver said, “CrossOver has the mission to give technicians in the Netherlands 'the smartest hands' in the world. Technicians who work both with their hands and their heads are extremely valuable for society. SmartShoulder, which has been developed in close partnership with end users, has the potential to improve the efficiency and safety of challenging work performed by technicians. We are delighted that Teijin is exploring the feasibility of further developing and commercialising SmartShoulder.”

TSSP is Teijin’s initiative to establish a business platform for safety, security and disaster mitigation solutions to enhance work performed in hazardous, high-stress environments by first responders including firefighters, police, medics and service engineers in certain industries.