Welcome to a new year fully energized and with new opportunities. As we have done last year, we will try to guess what 2008 will bring us on Wearable Electronic activities and products. We love all the Interactive Fashion that has been launched in the market, the choice was never as broad as it is today, price wise and function wise.The iPod Fashion contributed the majority of the products ranging from Jackets to all kind of bags and last but not least found a use in pillows. The large range of companies with an even larger range of styles let us assume that this segment, the iPod enabled Clothing and Bags, are well covered. The choice for consumer is wide and diverse.
Haute Couture Tech Fashion has further explored the merge ..read more
Posted in: Articles
Our weekend article addresses the dream of changing the color of clothing with the blink of an eye, or at least the push of a button.Two German computer graphics researcher, Volker Scholz and Marcus Magnor, developed a texture replacement technology that allows movie editors to change the color and pattern of the outfit from their actors long after the video is shot.
No need to spend money for different outfits in a movie, just run this software over it and green gets blue or square gets polka dots. How fantastic would this be if it works in the real world?
Texture replacement is fairly simple on computer generated bodies like in the animated movies coming out from Disney and Co.
The amazing point of the texture replacement technology from the German researchers is: ..read more
Posted in: Articles, Concept Design, Techno Fashion, Texture Replacement
Only a few fashion designer have the insight and ability to combine high fashion with high technology. Di Mainstone is one of the shining stars of the Haute Tech Fashion. Her journey through the world of fashion and technology is mysterious at times, her work full of mystical elements that surprise and captivate the audience.Di Mainstone is trained in fashion design at Central Saint Martins College of Art, London. Her interactive couture garments playfully explore human behavior by weaving soft-technologies into a fashion aesthetic.
Di’s eccentric style caught the attention of press and celebrities during a design partnership with cult UK labels Soochi and Choosi. Her attire sold internationally at established boutiques such as Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Urbanoutfitters.
In 2005, Di joined Sara Diamond at the Banff New Media Institute to ..read more
Posted in: Articles, Runway
The Textile International Forum and Exhibition we posted about a few days ago introduced another revolutionary textile technology: the Solar Textile after showing us the Textile Oven.The Solar Power Textile is foldable and more suitable for integration into clothing than flexible solar panels used at the moment in solar bags.
Having the softness of textiles, the use of such Solar Textiles do not pose any wear limitation for clothing.
Mr. Lin Cheng-chu, vice-director of the Weaving Research Department at the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) explained: “In the near future, bags or jackets made with solar textiles will provide electricity for PDAs, cellphones or digital media players.”
Another revolutionary e-textile that comes out of the kitchen of TTRI is a foldable capacitor with similar properties in terms of integration into clothing as the ..read more
Posted in: Articles, Solar Power, Super Smart Fabrics, e-Textiles
Las Vegas had its e-Textile symposium and almost at the same time on the other side of the globe in Taiwan, the Textile International Forum and Exhibition in Taipei has e-Textiles on their agenda as well.
Scientists from the Taiwan Textile Research Institute showed backed to the delight of the visitors toasts in an oven made of textiles. Yes, I didn’t make a typo, their oven is made of thin and flexible conductive elements woven into the oven’s highly heat-resistant fabric.
The oven’s internal temperature can exceed 300 degrees Celsius without damaging the soft fabric and weights only a few hundred grams.
For what is a textile oven good you might ask. For one, such oven can be folded according the Scientists and it is of course very light. This can become ..read more
Posted in: Articles, Concept Design, Heating
Solar power is taking over the battle field after being one of the hottest items in all kind of bags this year.
The Australian army is testing new solar cell technology made from a secret compound and can produce hours of low-level energy to power radios, night-vision goggles, communications equipment and sensors to detect enemy positions.
The new panel weights just 14oz, and works even in cloudy conditions because it harnesses solar radiation rather than direct sunlight.
The Australian military spent around 2 million US$ on this project with the aim to find a better solution to power all the high-tech equipment the soldiers of our time have to carry around on the battle field.
As with many new technologies, the military is often on the forefront of research and first applications, ..read more
Posted in: Articles, Solar Power
It was hard not to hear about the Wearable (Electronic) art from Star Simpson, an MIT student, that caused a security alert on Logan International Airport last Friday.
I am not going to comment on the freedom art needs or takes, nor the creative free room ones needs to progress.
Stitching a breadboard, commonly used for electronic design development and quick testing, onto a T-Shirt does not make it a Wearable Electronic consumer item, it is what it was originally designed and created for: a work of art.
Using a work of art, any work of art, in public places requires to take into account social rules, call it etiquette, and more important, consideration for safety and security. Airports are very sensitive against any remotely suspicious looking object and persons. This is correct ..read more
Posted in: Articles
Smart textiles and the integration of electronics into fabrics and garments are broadening their applications.
Wearable Electronic for medical application enables patients to shorten stationary care by wearing garments that can monitor the body functions through integrated sensors and wireless communication technology. In this way, one can at least leave the hospital bed and go around instead of having to stay in bed all time.
More advanced systems allow patients on the recovery path to leave the hospital care earlier compared to present monitoring techniques used.
Sensor and wireless equipped medical garments like bras, shirts, pants or stockings can also serve to monitor ones health and well being in certain situations like dangerous work environments.
Smart textile development for medical application is supported from many countries with research funding and first companies enter the ..read more
Posted in: Articles, Intelligent Clothes, Safety, Vitals Monitoring, e-Textiles
As regular reader of our Blog, you are well informed about the hottest trend in 2007: Solar and iPod bags.
The Washington Post’s article from yesterday’s edition: Let Your Gadgets Soak Up the Sun features ‘… a new generation of photovoltaic gadgets employs the sun’s rays to power iPods, cellphones and more.‘
The top of their list is Reware’s Juice Bags followed by a range of other portable solar charger.
CNN picked up SIGGRAPH’s UnRavel event with a report headlined: You wear IT well, featuring next to others Leah Buechley’s LED bracelet and the Solar bikini from Andrew Schneider.
The CNN article states: ‘Today’s latest gadgets are so refined and petite that they clip on to a belt or slip easily into a pocket or a bag. The next challenge confronting designers and engineers ..read more
Posted in: Articles
Eleksen launched their Evaluation Kit targeted towards designers, academics, and journalists to get a first-hand experience with ElekTex technology.
The ElekTex evaluation kit is designed to explore the interface design for interactive soft goods products, including consumer and industrial apparel and accessories.
The Evaluation Kit enables users to experience and learn how to program smart fabric interfaces using button, scroll and gesture controls. It represents an ideal first step for those looking to develop commercial applications using ElekTex.
ElekTex is a unique electro-conductive fabric touch pad optimized for the creation of flexible, durable, and rugged fabric interfaces.
The Evaluation Kit consists of a standard ElekTex sensor and its associated control electronics module which connects to a Windows PC via a USB port. Also included in the kit are three fabric overlays which together with ..read more
Posted in: Articles, Eleksen, Textile Switch
