Litabi
If I say “Wearable Technology”, then what would you think about? SmartWatches and Fitness band might hit your mind, Am I correct?
Yes! Wearable technology has revolutionised the wrist. We already have the capability to track our workouts, check our email and pay for our morning cappuccino all from one simple device curled around our wrist. wear
Not only the smart wearables at the wrist but also the good tech game-changers like Oculus Rift for virtual reality, Under Armour for sports and invisible tech tattoo are going to rock this year, 2016.
But what will happen when we weave sensors and electrodes into the very fibres of our clothing? Smart clothing as a facet of wearable technology is still quite new and under the radar, but thanks to recent developments, this is all set to change.
Examples For Smart Clothing Wearable Technology
Here are a few examples of just how smart clothing will be in the not-so-distant future.
Embed Your Device
Image source: FlexEnable, flexible electronics company
According to FlexEnable, flexible displays and sensors are the keys to wearable devices that can be conformed to our clothes (even our bodies) without compromising fashion and comfort. Like the above illustration, we may soon be able to wear a GPS system, personal safety device or a biomedical monitoring system. Professor Monica Craciun and her team of researchers at the University of Exeter have created a new technique that embeds graphene transparent electrodes into clothing.
She is quoted in an article in Tech Times, saying: “This is a pivotal point in the future of wearable electronic devices. The potential has been there for some years, and transparent and flexible electrodes are already widely used in plastics and glass, for example. But this is the first example of a textile electrode being truly embedded in yarn.”Read the full findings of Professor Craciun’s research here.
Charge Your Phone
Image Source: Pixabay
South Korean scientists have developed a fabric (called a wearable triboelectric nanogenerator) that generates electricity as it bends and flexes. Heading this research is Professor Sang-Woo Kim, from Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon. He says in an article on Euronews: “People try to remove static electricity in daily life and attempts to use it as an energy source were quite limited. That’s why we started this research, to use static electricity as an energy source.
With this energy, we can power Light Emitting Diodes and Liquid Crystal Displays without an external power source, as well as demonstrating low-power devices like sensors.” With this kind of advancement, you’ll never have to worry about your phone dying while you’re out and about again.
Change The Colour Of Your Clothes
Image Source: Pixabay
Dr Debashis Chanda of the University of Central Florida has developed a technique for creating the first full-colour, flexible, reflective display. Chanda’s research drew inspiration from animals like chameleons, octopuses and squids, who change the colour and texture of their skin to blend into their surroundings: “All manmade displays – LCD, LED, CRT – are rigid, brittle and bulky.
But you look at an octopus, they can create color on the skin itself covering a complex body contour, and it’s stretchable and flexible. That was the motivation: Can we take some inspiration from biology and create a skin-like display?”
The answer is: yes, he can. Applying voltage to an ultrathin nanostructured surface can change the colour of the material, revolutionising the way we use, wear and interact with our clothing. (Read more about Dr Chanda’s research here.)
Detect Heart Rate & Breath Rate
Tracking fitness through smart wear clothing would be exciting, right? Athos is a biometric fitness clothing that runs electric current through your muscles to measure its activity. It uses conductive rubber strips that will be placed against the skin by the compression of the clothing. This wearable tech clothing has an excellent durability & flexibility and its core is of wi-fi type.
As the non-adhesive biological sensors (8 EMG & 4 Heart rate sensors) are directly woven into the fabric, it can give the muscle effort, heart and breath rate results in a faster manner. You may use this wearable clothing technology as a personal trainer to perform the workouts without any injury.
Choose Ideal Sized Clothes
If you struggle to pick the perfect fit clothes, then LikeAGlove is to your rescue. Yeah, this smart clothing technology in the form of leggings can measure your body shape so that you can get the ideally sized clothes at your ease.
Since it measures your waist, hips and thighs to learn your shape and send data over Bluetooth, you can easily find the brands, models and sizes that correctly fit your body figure. So, be ready to get the correct sized clothing through this wearable tech clothings when you shop online every time.
Track Entire Body Movement in 3D
No matter whether you are a coach or athlete, you could analyze your movement efficiency, lessen the risk of Injury, and optimize your productivity & rehabilitation through Heddoko, smart garment.
It is one of the best washable, breathable and moisture control wearable clothing technology clothes that boasts integrated sensors for full-body data capture in 3D. It not only track your performance but also helps you to track your goals. You may improve your movement instantly and review progress over time with this smart clothing.
Final Words
The wearable clothing technology will certainly be a game changer in the field of technology for the next couple of years. I would say that the smart clothes are the wearables of the future.
Wearables aren’t all about smartwatches anymore: the future is in fabrics. From electricity-generating textiles to colour-reflecting displays, we will be able to incorporate tech into our lives (and onto our bodies) more intuitively than ever.
