After over a decade of smart fabric research and development, MIT scientists have created afiber-basedcomputer that can be woven into clothing, turning everyday garments into advanced healthmonitors.
Smart Fabrics
Unlike traditionalwearables(i.e., smartwatches), which are limited to tracking from one specific body part, thesefiber computersare embedded into and throughout the fabric. This allows them to collect data from anywhere on the body, and from multiple areas.
By providingreal-time insightsinto physical conditions, this new tech could very well change health tracking, sports performance, and even military applications
Mini Fiber Computers
These fiber computers can function independently of each other—each of them contains a tiny but powerful computing system, which includes sensors, memory, Bluetooth connectivity, and even a battery.
While conventionalsmart fabricsneed external devices to work, these fibers process the data on their own and can communicate wirelessly.
Testing it Out
To test their effectiveness, the researchers sewed fiber computers into the sleeves of shirts and legs of leggings. In early trials, the garments proved comfortable, machine-washable, and virtually undetectable when worn.
But how did they perform? Well, at first, each fiber computer could only recognize exercises with about 70% accuracy, but when they communicated with each other, this shot up to 95%.
What’s Next?
The next step is putting this smart clothing to the test, in important real-world settings and extreme conditions. U.S. Army and Navy personnel are set to go on a month-long Arctic mission, where temperatures can drop to -40°F.
The personnel will be wearing fiber-embedded merino wool shirts so that these smart garments can track their vital signs and movement, and help prevent cold-related injuries. In addition, the researchers want to add even more features and scale production.
Image Credit: Shutterstock/b.asia
