Janice:

Bad posture and back pain are an epidemic in today's society. With the rise of technology and desk jobs, more and more people are hunched over during their '9 to 5', and teenagers are suffering too, from school work and phone use. Approx. 85% of the population will experience back pain. Inspired by facehuggers from the movie Alien, Xenobrae exposes the parasite that the general public turns a blind eye to. Now that they can see and feel its legs wrap around them, straightening their back will be an undemanding and even appealing activity. 

Xenobrae is made of fabric hardened with resin in the lumbar and clavicle areas for support, and attached with wooden tendrils that are reinforced with rubber-bands to maintain shape and slightly dig into the body to remind the user how to position their body. 

Sina:

Eighty percent of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lives. As technology becomes a more prominent part of people's daily lives, they become more stationary and less aware of their posture. The Xenobrae is a wearable that fits over the back and supports the spine to improve posture. Designed to look like a leeching alien, it highlights the epidemic of bad posture in today's society. 

A single piece of fabric connects the aesthetic and functional parts of the Xenoblade. It has been molded into the form of an alien a tiny leeching alien. A long strip of the fabric running through the center is woven to have rigidity in the areas of the back that need the most support, its shape represents the spine of the alien. Elongated arms come out of the center to hook on and connect to the wearer's body and represent the leeching of the alien. Together they help support the wearer's spine while also creating a creepy alien which leeches onto their back.