EXPLORER: Smart Wearable Lighting Hat
EXPLORER is a smart wearable lighting hat designed for hands-free visibility and safety in low-light environments. Featuring front-facing adjustable LEDs, tactile controls, solar charging, a built-in camera, and SOS mode, EXPLORER supports outdoor activity, night navigation, and personal safety.
Tools
Physical Prototyping, User Research, Sketching, Iterative Design, Figma UI Design, Wearable Computing, Accessibility-Centered Design
Year
2025
Role
Product Designer, UX Designer, Physical Prototyping & User Research
*Completed collaboratively as part of a team-based academic design project.
Overview
EXPLORER was designed to address real-world challenges users face when navigating dark environments while keeping their hands free. Through early concept exploration and user feedback, our team identified the need for a wearable solution that balanced safety, comfort, and everyday usability.
Unlike traditional headlamps or handheld flashlights, EXPLORER distributes weight evenly across the head in a familiar hat form, making it more comfortable for extended use. The system combines front-facing adjustable lighting, tactile physical buttons, a mobile companion app, solar-assisted charging, a built-in camera, and SOS emergency functionality into a single integrated wearable.
The design prioritizes accessibility and intuitive interaction, ensuring it can be used in outdoor work, walking at night, hiking, and emergency scenarios without requiring complex gestures, voice commands, or constant phone interaction.
Preliminary Concepts & EarlyDesign Exploration
Each team member explored two early concept directions to test different approaches to lighting placement, controls, comfort, and aesthetics. These sketches were shared with potential users for early feedback.
SLEEK
Minimalist wearable lighting band with tactile controls, Bluetooth connectivity, and front-facing LED visibility.
Beam Band
A lightweight smart lighting band designed for targeted, directional visibility with adjustable brightness controls and hands-free functionality for active movement.
Halo
Wraparound head-mounted lighting designed for balanced illumination without blocking field of view.
EXPLORER
A solar-powered smart lighting hat featuring adjustable front LEDs, tactile controls, built-in camera, SOS safety mode, and mobile app connectivity for hands-free use in low-light environments.
Helping Hat
Comfort-first smart lighting hat with intuitive button placement and hands-free everyday usability.
Modular Visor
A customizable smart lighting visor featuring detachable lighting modules and adjustable positioning for flexible visibility based on user activity and environment.
User Feedback on Early Concepts
8 users across healthcare, HVAC, project management, digital advertising, and construction
Feedback gathered through early concept walkthroughs
Key insights
How feedback was collected
Users prioritized comfort, tactile controls, and real-world practicality
Repeated questions about:
Battery life
Charging method
Water resistance
Strong preference for a hat-based design over band-style concepts
Front-facing camera validated for safety and work documentation
Users requested a visible battery indicator in the app
How this shaped the final design
Confirmed hat-based form factor
Preserved physical buttons for outdoor and gloved use
Retained camera + SOS safety feature
Added battery visibility to the mobile interface
Water resistance prioritized for future iterations
Final Design Concept
The final design integrates adjustable front-facing lighting, tactile control buttons, solar charging, a built-in camera, and an SOS safety feature. EXPLORER supports real-world use cases including nighttime walking, outdoor work, camping, and personal safety scenarios.
The final design integrates adjustable front-facing lighting, tactile control buttons, solar charging, a built-in camera, and an SOS safety feature. EXPLORER supports a wide range of use cases including walking at night, outdoor work environments, camping, and personal safety scenarios.
Unlike traditional headlamps or handheld flashlights, EXPLORER distributes weight evenly across the head while maintaining a familiar and stylish appearance. The design reflects a synthesis of safety, functionality, and real-world usability informed directly by user feedback.
Physical Prototypes
To translate our final EXPLORER concept into a tangible form, each team member constructed a physical prototype using everyday materials. While small aesthetic variations exist, all prototypes represent the same core feature set, including front-facing lighting, tactile control buttons, solar charging placement, and camera positioning. These models allowed us to evaluate scale, placement, comfort, and real-world wearability.
Multiple physical prototype iterations showing front, side, rear, and top views with labeled component placement.
Related UI: Mobile App Interface
The EXPLORER mobile app serves as the companion control center for the wearable lighting hat. It allows users to manage lighting, camera, and safety features in real time while keeping their hands free.
Core features include:
Live camera feed with recording controls
Brightness adjustment
Light area / coverage control
SOS emergency activation
Device status and battery visibility
Route and usage history
The interface was designed to be simple, high-contrast, and easy to use in motion, supporting quick interactions during walking, outdoor work, and low-visibility environments. The UI directly mirrors the physical controls on the hat to reduce cognitive load and improve usability.