Safe Cuddling by Helge Fischer

Rose Etherington | 13 August 2010 37 comments

This fluffy children's playsuit by Royal College of Art graduate Helge Fischer sounds an alarm if the child is touched inappropriately.

Called Safe Cuddling, the garment emits flashing lights and alarm bells with escalating intensity if the wearer is touched for too long or in inappropriate places.

Here's some more information from the designer:

SAFE CUDDLING

The 'Safe Cuddling' suit allows for the innocent cuddling of children by helping adults to maintain their integrity.

When the child wearing the suit is touched for too long or in inappropriate areas of the body an alarm goes off (flashlights and bells!), first gently hinting to potential ambiguities, finally assertively reminding the parent or care-taker and others around of their responsibility.

Does our desire to eliminate uncertainties and avoid risk lead us to become even more fearful? Can humour be an appropriate tool for challenging dark and uncomfortable social issues?

I then went out and showed the design proposal to parents, child minders and a child protection professional. What was originally intended as an ironic comment became a lot more complex.

The suit acted as a tool to spark debate about rational and irrational fears, about risks, technology, the media and attitudes within (the UK) society towards children's safety.