The proto:n project taps into the potential of wearable & ambient assisted living technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and IoT for regional SMEs in Berlin and enables them to develop new products and services through design-driven innovation processes.

Collaboration formats between the companies and the disciplines as well as the use of interface-relevant key technologies enable the direct involvement of regional companies in research-based process and product development. The target group here is in particular the employees of the companies, who benefit from the availability of pre-industrial technologies and the transfer of knowledge from the various disciplines.

The innovation workshops are at the heart of the project. Each innovation workshop brings together people from regional SMEs, universities and/or research institutions to generate and evaluate ideas and prototypes in the field of wearable and ambient assisted living technologies within a fixed time frame (a few days to a few weeks).

The focus is on the following topics and technology fields:

- Virtual Reality
- Augmented Reality / Mixed Reality
- Functional Fashion / Active Sports Wear
- Internet-of-Things
- Wearable Technology & Sustainable Design

Product visions developed within the framework of proto:n enable the expansion of environmental perception through augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality and Internet-of-Things technologies, the expansion of self-perception through intelligent activity tracking and the promotion of health and social behaviour through feedback systems, the expansion of interaction possibilities through networking and novel communication technologies, the facilitation of everyday activities through supporting and integrated micro-technologies (e.g. clothing equipped with micro-technologies, functional fashion and active sports wear).