The world has experienced and enjoyed the benefits of technology for quite some time now. And yet, the novelty never seems to wear off! Right from its advent, technology has been ever-evolving. As the years go by, it only seems to push its zenith higher and higher. Thus it may come as no surprise that after smartphones and smart watches, we now have their worthy successor – smart clothes.
What are Smart Clothes?
As one would expect, given the name, smart clothes refer to clothes with in-built technology. Electronic textiles, or e-textiles are often classified on the basis of their functions: aestheticism and performance enhancement. Aesthetic e-textiles serve the purpose of improving how clothes look. These include clothes that light up or change colour. Performance enhancing smart clothes, on the other hand, are used in the military, the sports industry, and as protective gear.
History of Smart Clothes
The earliest e-textiles had very basic functions. They accommodated batteries and small lights to be fitted into them. While this was quite the rage amongst pop-stars, it achieved little else. Meanwhile, smart clothes as we know them today, originated some distance away from the fashion industry. It was through space-suits that technology and clothing first amalgamated in its current form. Since then, the progress of e-textiles has managed to open the doors of everyday clothing.
Currently, smart clothes saturate the first-generation market. This refers to technology that can be attached to clothes as an accessory. A sizable foray has also been made into second-generation products. These fabrics have technology embedded into them. Third-generation products, meanwhile, haven’t fully materialised yet. These are e-textiles wherein the fabric in itself is the sensor. They will be potentially developed as pressure or temperature sensors.
Nevertheless, e-textiles are no longer confined to laboratories and outer space. The increasing attention to fitness and health has found great employment for smart clothes. Here are some of the most promising results of blending technology and clothing:
Medical Sensors
smart clothes with embedded sensors collect data from the body, such as the heart-rate, sleep, breath-rate, and the like. This is an example of a second-generation e-textile. These sensors function much like those found in smart-watches. However, they have a more expansive coverage which improves accuracy. The data collected is presented through an app. Its core function is to monitor basic bodily functions within the context of fitness. Additionally, it also helps maintain records of one’s physiological functioning and has several diagnostic benefits.
Haptic-Feedback Sportswear
Haptic feedback essentially refers to vibrations that are produced by the clothes. This is often located at body parts such the shoulders, hips, and knees. The clothes are used in tandem with an app. The app provides instruction for exercise routines with a series of steps, such as yoga. The clothes provide corresponding vibrations in a particular order. This guides our movements and helps us follow the steps better.
Smart Socks
Pedometers have changed the game for self-monitored fitness regimes. But until recently, pedometers were only found on phones and watches. It seems about time that they find their way to where they really need to be – socks. Smart socks not only count steps and determine speed, but they also have built-in pressure sensors. These sensors identify unhealthy patterns of walking and heel-striking. When paired with an app, they offer audio cues to correct these patterns.
Self-laundering fabrics
While smart clothes are all well and good, they do beg one question: how does one clean them? Well, looks like the experts have anticipated this hitch. While self-cleaning clothes are not yet a reality, they seem to be on their way. Researchers have identified metal nanoparticles that can ease the load of daily laundry. These particles, through a combination of sunlight and electricity, might just make self-cleansing fabric a reality. E-textiles and smart clothes bring a new found potential to human endeavours. One can’t help but notice how they bring us one step closer to superhero-tech. However, the surprise it garners is short-lived. Technology progresses by leaps and bounds each day. Thus, it’s foray into the world of fashion was almost inevitable. While everyday use of smart clothes is still nascent, the trend is surely here to stay.
