It is important that the value of e-textiles and wearable technologies help to improve the lifestyle of people who require medical treatment, rehabilitation after medical treatment and enhancing the lifestyle of elderly persons by assisting declining body functions.
Without wearable technologies many people that need around-the-clock monitoring are confined to rooms for stationary monitoring. By integrating monitoring sensors comfortably into clothing it allows these people to lead a more normal lifestyle.
Physorg published an article describing the work of a Virginia Tech engineering team which designed pants that contain various sensors and transmitting technologies which integrate the monitoring and motion activity of the wearer. The pants are built specifically to detect motion patterns indicative of someone falling.
According to a study by the Center for Disease Control, around one-third of adults age 65and over fall every ..read more
Posted in: Pants, Vitals Monitoring, e-Textiles
Now a days textile sensors generally monitor heartrate. BIOTEX, a European sponsored research project which is set up to develop biochemical-sensing techniques and their integration into textiles adds a new dimension to bio-textile-sensor technology: analyzing body fluids via textile sensors.Using a combination of hydrophilic (water-loving) and hydrophobic (water-repellent) yarns. Those two yarns can be woven to direct the sweat through fabric channels to a sensor area. It is a passive system that uses no power and so reducing the power demands of the BIOTEX system.Body fluids can provide valuable data about a persons well being. There are potentially many applications for such technology.
Posted in: BIOTEX, Concept Design, Conductive Yarn, Safety, Sports, Super Smart Fabrics, Vitals Monitoring, e-Textiles
The Pacer Suit from the designer Nikola Knezevic and Danilo Zizic can turn you into a musical marvel.This suit transforms every move of your body into sound by transforming your body into a musical instrument. The muscle movements are detected via the strategically placed sensors integrated into the suit. The muscle movements are then amplified and converted into sound. A control panel on the front allows volume adjustment as well as selecting the type of sound, the rhythm to follow and more.
Posted in: Concept Design, Intelligent Clothes, Sound, Suit, Tech Clothing Industry, Techno Fashion, Wearable Computing, e-Textiles
NYU Interactive Telecommunications student Alexander Reeder, has created a true one-off interactive textile. This stunning design features an automated butterfly laden dress with interactive behavior.The butterflies are activated by motion and are controlled but the wearers heart rate. The motion activation is triggered by proximity to the dress by other people. Motion consists of fluttering and as the person gets closer, the butterflies move upward.The butterflies are attached with magnetic snaps, which also supplies power. As the butterflies are removable, the dress can be worn with no butterflies or just one or all at once. A small gear motor is used to drive the flapping mechanism. Based on the Lilypad module, collecting data and controlling the butterfly’s wing motors. A heart rate monitor belt powered by ..read more
Posted in: Concept Design, Dress, Intelligent Clothes, Runway, Tech Clothing Industry, Techno Fashion, Textiles, e-Textiles
Studio 5050 is back again with the Embrace-Me hoodie. This hoodie has a large conductive version of their logo printed on front. When two Embrace-Me hoodies combine in a hug, lighted version of the big dipper appears on the back and a heartbeat sound is emitted.The hoodies come in a luxurious, cashmere-like 100% bamboo basket weave and are super soft. In about 4 weeks and $480.00 to $600.00 bucks you can get your own pair of Embrace-Me hoodies to share.
Posted in: Conductive Yarn, Display, Intelligent Clothes, Jacket, Light Emmiting Fabric, Lighting, Shirt, Sportswear, Studio 5050, Techno Fashion, Top, e-Textiles
A few days ago we wrote about the HandTalk glove designed by Carnegie Mellon students. We also thought that was an original concept. False. Turns out in 2001 the concept was created by Ryan Patterson.
Patterson imagined this concept while sitting in a restaurant and seen a def patron having a hard time conveying an order. Looking to make this happen for a science fair, he began his mission. A mere 7 months later his Sign Language Translator concept was complete.
What does this mean? Ryan’s Sign Language Translator was a Grand Award winner in the 2001 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the first place winner in the individual category at the 2001 Siemens Westinghouse Science & Technology Competition, he received top ..read more
Posted in: Concept Design, Display, Do-It-Yourself Industry Leaders, Gloves, Super Smart Fabrics, Textile Circuit, Textile Switch, Textiles, Wearable Computing, e-Textiles
A great way to gather power is via kinetic energy. Why not recollect energy while we are already moving? Enter the Amanda Parkes’ and Adam Kumpf’s .
This dress uses piezoelectric material creates a voltage when it is deformed like bent or twisted. An integrated rectifier circuit connects the strips to capacitors which store electrical charge and feed the electrical power to the coin batteries disguised as buttons.The creative power behind the Piezing, Amanda Parkes and Adam Kumpf are grad students at MIT Media Lab. Their Piezing power-dress was part of a runway fashion show last Friday at the ‘2nd Skin: Imaginative Designs in Digital & Analog Clothing’ at the Exploratorium in San Francisco.
Posted in: Dress, Runway, Tech Clothing Industry, Textiles, e-Textiles
Biodevices brings us the Vital Jacket. This garment is used to monitor ECG waves and Heart rate levels. This can be used for sports, fitness, and medical purposes.This beat traditional cumbersome methods and is a valid high quality solution. This allows for a free range of movement with no compromise to bio-feedback integrity.
There are currently two versions available, the HWM100 that stores data on a SD memory card for post-analysis on a PC. This version allows long term monitoring. Users can define heart rate limits and will be alerted through a vibration alarm embedded in the T-Shirt.
The second version is the HWM200 that allows realtime visualization where data is sent via Bluetooth to a PDA or smart phone.
This device will set you back $635.44 and ..read more
Posted in: Biodevices, Bluetooth, Intelligent Clothes, Shirt, Sports, Sportswear, Tech Clothing Industry, Vitals Monitoring, e-Textiles
