QIO Systems is now offering textile touch pads for fashion fabricators. Using Elektex and SOFTswitch technology, and is completely fabric. That means that it can be washed and dry cleaned. Even though it is washable, it is rated at up to 100,000 keypresses.
Next to the fabric keypad QIO Systems offers a wide range of electronic modules with control functions for the iPod, Bluetooth cell phones, wearable radio, Push-to-talk solutions and complete solution for integrated heating and integrated lighting into garments and soft goods.
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.
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
Talia Elena Radford Cryns, creator of Ergoskin, is a student at the University for Applied Arts, Industrial Design, in Vienna – Austria. This design assists the wearer with a push to reinforce proper posture. The nano sensors embedded in the fabric detect the posture and provide skin impulses to indicate the status.This technology is great for office workers who intend to have decent posture but over the course of a work day let that slip a little. This can also be used for rehabilitation and medical purposes. This is a really interesting item. I look forward to seeing this develop further.
Interactive textiles are finding ways to reach everywhere. Australia’s CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology has designed a interactive sleeve that is designed to help basketball players develop a shooting rhythm.It works by making rhythmic sounds that correspond with the shooting motion. Although this cannot be used in a game situation, it does help promote repetition and muscle memory. When the sounds play like disco drums, then the motion is correct.
This body mapping technology can lead to some interesting concepts down the road… stay tuned.
For the next level of wearable technology, something has to give. A group of Scientist at the University of Illinois promises flexible silicon and plastic circuits that can potentially be used for integration into clothing. This technology might open the doors for new Wearable Electronic (and other) applications that have not been possible without it.Making electronic substrates thin makes it bendable, just as a piece of paper is bendable whereas a piece of wood is not,” says John Rogers who is heading the team.
To make elastic circuits, the team binds the silicon wiring to a thin sheet of rubbery plastic that has been stretched out to be approximately 15% wider and longer than it was before.
After applying the silicon circuit to the stretched material it is released and the ..read more
Smart and Intelligent fabric allow designers of sport bras to improve the comfort for active women according to a demonstration of an Australian research team from the University of Wollongong.
Fitted with tiny sensors, the smart-bra fabric will monitor and measure movement of the breast.
Two volunteers, aged 30 and 39, one wearing a 36D bra and the other a 38DD, were instructed to walk on a treadmill at 4.3mph and then speed up to a jog of 6.2mph.
The finding of this test: all the strain and stress from the breast movement, which can be as much as 2.7 inches during jogging, is being borne by the straps. This could explain the shoulder pain and tingling in the arms that many women suffer during physical activities. Done over prolonged time, these ill ..read more
The Italian fashion brand MUSIC and SONS address some clothing issues with thier T-Shirt collection.
The first problem they address is the wire management in our electronic devices by integrating headphone wires seamlessly into the T-Shirts.
MUSIC and SONS is also using naturally sustainable materials like BAMBOO in their products. This natural fiber is hypoallergenic, absorbent, and is naturally anti-bacterial so it will not hold odor. It also is the most sustainable of the natural fibers, reaching a mature height of 75 feet in just 45 to 60 days. And, because of its natural antibacterial properties, it needs no pesticides.
ORGANIC COTTON plays a big part in MUSIC and SONS T-Shirt collection as well and only 100% pure organically grown cotton is used.
Last but not least, all T-Shirts are hand printed ..read more
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
IntertechPira’s 2007 edition of the Smart Textiles and Nanotextile Conference will take place from Dec 10-12 in Prague, Czech Republic.
It’s the second time Smart and Intelligent Textiles will be the focus of a high profile conference.
Top experts will present and discuss the present status but also the future of Smart, Intelligent and Nano Textiles.
Highly interesting presentations and discussions are guaranteed looking to the speaker list: Angel Chang will speak about ‘Advanced textiles in high fashion applications‘, Winston Shih, Advanced Products Manager, The North Face who is also the Chair person, will talk about ‘Keeping technology on the forefront at The North Face‘ and Christian Stammel, CEO of Navispace will present ‘Solar Technology: a key technology for the wearable electronic market‘.
There are many more experts on the long speaker list who ..read more
