Brussels, Europe Brief News – A bright future in fashion and clothing has loomed for almost a decade. Sensors and next-generation smart clothes might turn our clothing into health-tracking devices.
These aren’t simply startup concepts. Companies like Levi’s and Under Armour have proposed jackets with touch controls and fitness gear that tracks your activity and vitals.
But these promises haven’t fully come true. Smart textiles aren’t as robust or waterproof as ordinary garments, and they need to contact your skin to perform. And there’s a bigger problem: Smartwatches already collect a lot of health data, so there’s no need to switch to smart clothing. The Apple Watch 7 can track your sleep and exercise metrics, monitor your heart rate for dangerous arrhythmias, and even detect apnea.
Smart Clothes you can and cannot wear
There are just a few smart clothes on the market right now, and they’re all aimed at solving specific problems. Although Google’s Jacquard technology got employed in Levi’s Commuter jean jacket, the business has yet to develop smart apparel. Smart socks and yoga trousers made by Nadi have sensors attached to the exterior of the garments. LikeAGlove has released more and more body-measuring undergarments since 2014. To keep track of a baby’s sleep patterns, the Owlet Dream Sock wraps over their foot.
Developing a killer app for wearables!
According to Albert Titus, smart clothes might be designed to address specific health conditions over a predetermined amount of time. Stable and reliable contact between the sensors and the body is required. Designers must first identify issues before they can come up with a “killer app” that makes wearing smart clothing every day a viable option. According to one expert, smart clothes will fall behind smartwatches and fitness trackers without a real-world benefit. Although clinicians have questioned the accuracy of Owlet’s smart newborn sock, it potentially identifies SIDS. Medical specialists and military leaders may one day wish to monitor the vitals of their soldiers while they are out in the field.
Clothing materials need to upgrade as well!
Most smart garment designs include prototype electronics sewn inside conventional garments. As a result, many smart garment designs fail to match the lifespan and washability of regular clothing.
Fabrics like cotton or nylon have circuitry woven into them that transmit signals from sensors to receivers. The second kind uses particular materials that respond to stimuli by carrying electricity, pressure, or heat and delivering signals to receivers.
New design tools may eventually help machines spin smart fabrics. But brands like the Levis believe that many sensors in clothing would be helpful. Experts say, “Human skin already has many sensors, but we could make sensor-filled materials to accommodate various body types, like robots.”
Smart clothes experts also hypothesize that conductive, sensor-loaded materials might be employed beyond the clothing business. Perhaps they might replace interior wiring or be utilized in modular constructions.
Conclusion
There’s still plenty to learn about smart clothes, such as who has access to them and if they’re economical enough to fill a complete wardrobe. But such debates will have to wait until we learn more about smart clothing. And for now, we don’t have enough information.
