- Date: 2012
- Owned and developed by: CISIUM, Inc.
- Customers: General public
- Creators: Raúl Bartolomé and a small engineering team
- Raúl’s contribution: Inventor, engineering manager, and chief engineer; firmware development and Android coding in Java
- Market: Consumer electronics / fashion tech
- Product category: Wearables and fashion electronics
In 2012, Raúl Bartolomé and CISIUM, Inc. developed the “Smart Bag,” a prototype that merged fashion with consumer electronics and smartphone control. The project explored the possibilities of wearable technology, applying engineering innovation to a fashion accessory.
The base product was designed by LumiGram, a company specializing in fabrics made from fiber optics that glow beautifully in the dark when illuminated by a light source. Their bag design included a simple LED-and-battery module. CISIUM, Inc. replaced this with a custom electronic module that dramatically expanded functionality.
The Prototype
The new electronic system integrated:
- RGB LED control for dynamic light effects
- Bluetooth communication for smartphone connectivity
- Accelerometer, microphone, and speaker for enhanced interactivity
- An NXP LPC1347 microcontroller at its core, with supporting peripherals for control and data processing
Android Application
Alongside the hardware, Raúl developed a native Android application in Java. The app allowed the user to manage the bag’s lighting, monitor its status, and trigger specific features. This software-hardware integration provided a proof of concept for connected fashion accessories.
The prototype included user-oriented features such as:
- Color and lighting control of the bag
- Theft or loss alarm
- Audio notifications for messages and alerts
The concept also demonstrated potential for future wearable extensions, including environmental sensing or biological data acquisition.
Raúl’s Contribution
As inventor and chief engineer, Raúl guided the full system design — from embedded firmware to Android coding — while managing the project as part of CISIUM’s innovation portfolio. This project highlighted his ability to combine electronics, mobile software, and design thinking to create consumer-facing products beyond traditional engineering domains.
Legacy
Though developed as a prototype, the Smart Bag represented an early exploration of fashion-tech and IoT wearables, anticipating the growing convergence of lifestyle products and connected technology. It underscored Raúl’s versatility as an engineer and entrepreneur, able to adapt core electronic and software skills to unconventional markets.
