DailyDirt: Wearables That Actually Do Stuff
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
Lately, it seems like a variety of gadgets are vying to be worn — smartwatches, smartglasses, and a bunch of other trinkets that claim to be smart and try to be accessories to your accessories. Before this new wearables trend, textile researchers have been (and still are) working on embedding various functions directly into clothing. The trick is making clothing that can do other stuff without taking away any features of traditional clothing — like being able to machine wash and dry them. Here are just a few links on smart textiles that might make for better wearable items.
- Nanotechnology clothing promised a lot of nifty capabilities, and this project is making good on creating a super-insulating fabric that can reflect about 90% of a person’s body heat back to the wearer. Sure, you could wear a mylar suit to get the same effect, but this fabric won’t trap all your sweat like wearing a plastic bag. This fabric is coated in silver nanowire (AgNW) that is durable in a washing machine, and hopefully we’ll figure out how to make it into clothing that doesn’t look like a Starfleet uniform. [url]
- Smart socks! Yes, socks with sensors in them that connect to an app on your phone to tell you if your foot is hitting the pavement in a way that might lead to injury. This sounds pretty targeted to dedicated runners, but it’s nice to see a smart wearable that isn’t so obvious when worn. [url]
- Fabrics knitted with conductive fibers are becoming more practical and durable — and bulletproof? Bulletproof vests with fabric circuit boards are just one possible application for textiles with embedded electronics. (There are also Wimbledon ball boys/girls wearing smartshirts already.) [url]
If you’d like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.
Filed Under: agnw, clothing, conductive fibers, gadgets, nanotech, silver nanowire, smart fabric, smart shirts, smart socks, smart textiles, wearables
Comments on “DailyDirt: Wearables That Actually Do Stuff”
where do you put the batteries?
If we’re going ot wear e-clothes, how do we power them? I dont’ want to re-charge my PJs every day. OR my tie. OR my socks.
Re: where do you put the batteries?
We already have solar powered watches, and watches that are charged from the kinetic energy of you moving your hand around.
There are a bunch of projects around the place for even more alternative portable energy generation methods. Shoe inserts to generate power from walking, perhaps electronics to generate power from bending and unbending components when you flex your elbows and knees – you’d get a slight workout at the same time!
On the other hand, you need to wash your PJs and socks… so you recharge the control unit (which in the RL polo shirt isn’t washable) at the same time as the clothes are being washed.
I’m not completely sure what your smart tie would do, other than notify your boss when you’re browsing websites when you should be working… I think I’d just forget to charge that one. Accidentally, of course!
Smartshirts
Those smartshirts the Wimbledon kids are wearing sound interesting. I wonder if any employer would be willing to use them for performance tracking.
Socks..
Sensoria Socks are the good ones too and they don’t sell your data. David the CEO usd to work for Microsoft and started the company a few years ago. They don’t sell data, they sell socks is their motto sometimes. I don’t know how far they are on the clinical side but working socks to monitor people with diabetes issues with their feet..and that sounds really cool. They have the patent on their particular sensor that can basically be embedded in almost any fabric.
Socks good for more than running?
I could see the socks being used for more than running. In particular for people with peripheral neuropathy. The nerve damage makes it so that people don’t get a good sence on how they are walking and it makes them prone to falls. These socks could be modified to help them be more aware if their foot isn’t properly placed.
Making tin-foil hats stylish since 2015
Hats dipped in silver nano-wire with an air-gap of 300 nm should serve to efficiently block EVERY wavelength of EMR (unless I am mistaken & forgot my wavelength theory).
The down side is that I imagine an entire suit made out of this material would make a fine faraday cage and your cellphone, pager, etc would be useless unless carried on the outside of your attire.
Finally – FANTASTIC survival clothing material for cold environments, warm blankets in emergency kits, etc!
IR reflective clothes
Hey! Now you won’t show up naked on IR cameras. Look for celebrities to jump at this.