CLOTES MADE OF SOUND RECORDING FABRIC

e all know of optical fibers, the filaments of glass that carry data in the form of light pulses and enable the high-speed global telecommunications networks we take for granted today. For the past decade, Yoel Fink has been working at MIT to develop fibers with ever more sophisticated properties which enable fabrics to interact with their environment. Fink and his collaborators have now announced a new milestone on the path to functional fibers – fibers that can detect and produce sound. According to the MIT research team, applications for the technology could include clothes that are themselves sensitive microphones, for capturing speech or monitoring bodily functions (stop sniggering those in the back), and tiny filaments that could measure blood flow in capillaries or pressure in the brain. Ordinary optical fibers are made from a “preform,” a large cylinder of a single material that is heated up, drawn out and then cooled. By contrast, the new acoustic fibers developed by Yoel Fink, an associate professor of materials science and principal investigator at MIT’s Research Lab of Electronics, and his collaborators derive their functionality from the elaborate geometrical arrangement of several different materials, which must survive the heating and drawing process intact. Piezoelectric plastic the key: The heart of the new acoustic fibers is a plastic commonly used in microphones. By playing with the plastic’s fluorine content, the researchers were able to ensure that its molecules remain lopsided – with fluorine atoms lined up on one side and hydrogen atoms on the other – even during heating and drawing. The asymmetry of the molecules is what makes the plastic “piezoelectric,” meaning that it changes shape when an electric field is applied to it. In a conventional piezoelectric microphone, the electric field is generated by metal electrodes. But in a fiber microphone, the drawing process would cause metal electrodes to lose their shape. So the researchers instead used a conducting plastic that contains graphite, the material found in pencil lead. When heated, the conducting plastic maintains a higher viscosity – it yields a thicker fluid – than a metal would. Not only did this prevent the mixing of materials, but, crucially, it also made for fibers with a regular thickness.

After the fiber has been drawn, the researchers need to align all the piezoelectric molecules in the same direction. That requires the application of a powerful electric field – 20 times as powerful as the fields that cause lightning during a thunderstorm. Anywhere the fiber is too narrow, the field would generate a tiny lightning bolt, which could destroy the material around it. Despite the delicate balance required by the manufacturing process, the researchers were able to build functioning fibers in the lab. “You can actually hear them, these fibers,” says Noémie Chocat, a graduate student in the materials science department. “If you connected them to a power supply and applied a sinusoidal current” – an alternating current whose period is very regular – “then it would vibrate. And if you make it vibrate at audible frequencies and put it close to your ear, you could actually hear different notes or sounds coming out of it.” For their Paper, “Multimaterial piezoelectric fibres,” which appears in Nature Materials, the researchers measured the fiber’s acoustic properties more rigorously. Since water conducts sound better than air, they placed it in a water tank opposite a standard acoustic transducer, a device that could alternately emit sound waves detected by the fiber and detect sound waves emitted by the fiber. In addition to wearable microphones and biological sensors, applications of the fibers could include loose nets that monitor the flow of water in the ocean and large-area sonar imaging systems with much higher resolutions: A fabric woven from acoustic fibers would provide the equivalent of millions of tiny acoustic sensors. Working in reverse to generate electricity: Like the fiber nanogenerator being developed at the University of California, Berkeley, the same mechanism that allows piezoelectric devices to translate energy into motion can work in reverse and could also be applied to the MIT fibers. “Imagine a thread that can generate electricity when stretched,” says Zheng Wang, a research scientist in Fink’s lab and co-author of the paper along with Shunji Egusa and Chocat. Ultimately, however, the researchers hope to combine the properties of their experimental fibers in a single fiber. Strong vibrations, for instance, could vary the optical properties of a reflecting fiber, enabling fabrics to communicate optically. One unfortunate consequence of the acoustic fiber technology could be the return of 70′s-style “louder” clothing.

www.web.mit.edu

USB AIR CONDITIONED SHIRT

he USB Air Conditioned Shirt is a fantastic invention for hot days! USB- fans blow fresh air into the shirt, powered solely by your powered USB drive. Great for any hot office or room, or even for portable action with a laptop or other device. There’s simply nothing else out there like it! This was highly featured in the press and on gadget blogs.

www.japantrendshop.com

AIRBAG JACKETS

mpact Jackets has been selling inflatable safety jackets for the past few years at a cost of nearly $500 each. They’re a great idea in theory, but how do you know if they’ll work? Well, a Baltimore man got to find out firsthand, as he was thrown 100 feet from his motorcycle after being cut off in traffic. The bag inflated as advertised and saved him from extensive injuries. He walked away with some sore ribs and a broken thumb, but medics on the scene said it would’ve been far worse without the jacket. IMPACT JACKETS, LLC is committed to making available safety equipment for motorcycle riders and equestrian riders alike.

www.impactjackets.com

nother cool item is made by the Italian Spidiand it is called DPS 03 and represents the third step from that revolutionary device that came out at the beginning of the millennium. It features better fitting and tech specs than its processors and is still considered one of the best examples of effective mix of design and functionally applied to technical apparel. Just to cite a few examples, the DPS 03 has been on show at Superhuman Performance Show for Prato Textile Museum (Italy), was awarded the Well-Tech award 2008 for ‘Best accessibility Product’ was created in a white, super limited edition for the Dakar-like ‘Pharaons Rally’ 2008 and is going to be featured in the world leading tech magazine WIRED.

Still a niche product mainly due to high price and limited distribution, the DPS 03 nevertheless has been steadily sold over the years especially in Italy, France and Spain. Finally, it is important to note that SPIDI is an active member of the international committee currently helping defining the future CE standards for Airbag Jackets: this norm will be called EN 1621/4 and will represent the golden standard for this kind of products. In the meantime, the DPS family is still the point of reference in the world of Airbag Jackets. Aibag /Impact jackets are very important for several use. So we hope many of other companies are adopting this technologies and let us have a better offer of this kind of safety jackets.

www.spidi.it

Note: Italian companies Dainese and Brembo are producing Airbag Jackets too. So just Google their name and you will find details.

CLOTHING THAT RESPOND TO THE EMOTIVE STATE: chemical sensors printed on elastic could lead to ‘smart’ underwear

s the technology to support wearable electronics advances, researchers are investigating new ways of making our clothing more “intelligent” – from smart shirts for theater ushers to the development of clothing that can respond to the wearer’s emotive state. So would it surprise you to learn that your humble underpants could one day save your life? A new study has shown that printed sensors on the elastic band of your underpants could monitor biomarkers in your sweat and tears, make autonomous diagnoses and even administer life-saving drugs. Why use underpants? As the elastic on underpants has tight contact and direct exposure with the skin it allows for direct sweat monitoring via the chemical-sensing electrodes. And it seems elastic is a hardy textile. Engineers at the University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering discovered that even after aggressive testing by stretching, folding and pulling, the chemical sensors printed on the elastic still retained their sensing ability and could detect hydrogen peroxide and NADH – two compounds that sensors in “smart’ systems will need to recognize. The printed sensors can be incorporated into logic-based biocomputing systems that will monitor biomarkers such as lactate, oxygen, norepinephrine and glucose. It is expected that the smart system will be capable of diagnosing changes in a patient’s health status or a soldier’s battlefield injury and automatically trigger the release of drugs to begin treatment before help arrives. The sensors could also be used to detect driver’s alcohol consumption, the performance of athletes or stress levels of soldiers. The sensors, power, electronics and logic systems could all be embedded in the surface area of the clothing. Professor Joseph Wang, from the Department of Nano Engineering at the University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, said “…putting the electrodes on the underwear, we didn’t plan to make it so sexy. Our approach is scientific. The waistband of the underwear gives you the best contact with the skin where you expect to get a good sampling of the sweat. “ Wang, along with the UC San Diego Nano Engineers and their collaborators at Clarkson University continue to research how the sensed biomarker information is processed and how to obtain accurate, automated diagnoses that will be able to trigger the release of drugs. Wang explained that lactate, oxygen, nor epinephrine and glucose are examples as the kinds of injury biomarkers that will provide biological input signals for the prototype smart system. Electrodes that contain a combination of enzymes will act as sensors to convert the biomarkers to products. This information may be analyzed by another enzyme on the electrode for further logic operations. The electrodes will also act as transducers producing a string of 1s and 0s that could activate smart materials and trigger the release of medication based on pre-determined patient treatment plans. “We just want the ones and zeros. The digital pattern of ones and zeros will reveal the type of injury and automatically trigger the proper treatment,” said Wang. If, for example, an injured soldier went into shock, enzymes on the electrode would sense rising levels of the biomarkers lactate, glucose and norepinephrine. This would cause the concentrations of products generated by the enzymes to change – higher hydrogen peroxide, lower norepi-quinone, higher NADH and lower NAD+. This would cause the built-in logic structure to output the signal “1,0,1,0” which indicates shock and could trigger a pre-determined treatment response. “This is biocomputing in action,” said Wang. The peer-reviewed study called “Thick-film textile-based amperometric sensors and biosensors” was published in Analyst and was funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research.

THE NANOTECH JACKET BY PIQUADRO

he Italian sport-luxury  luggage manufacturer  Piquadro already present in the last edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence a similar jacket made with hi-tech  fabrics but unfortunately they never produce that item. Maybe they were so scare to approach the international market with such innovative goods? Well…we believe that if a luggage industry want to approach the fashion market ( which is already full of ideas ) than they must do it with super innovative garment items. Piquadro is already known because of their good style and quality. They were able to in this pat years to stall a good part of this market to Italian Mandarina Duck ( that in the past try to produce garment items too but without much success). So we wish Piquadro will approach this adventure better. We know that they ask the cooperation to Studio Osti ( Massimo Osti’s  fashion guru  office in Bologna now owned by his son Lorenzo Osti  )  to produce this item. We still cannot talk about a “collection” because they present only this jacket. Also we know that Osti Studio create this beautiful item in cooperation with Saati Group form Como,  that is one of the most important super technological fabric manufacturer  for acoustics, micro filtration and aramidisc. They create under Lorenzo Osti’s inputs this super fantastic fabric that as” finish” was bombarded with plasma in a huge nanotech machine, technology owned by Saati. The Saati collection is really cool and contain several other fabrics and solutions.  Saati adventure in fashion industry is so young. But now luxury fashion and shoes manufacturers become curious and they will for sure pay attention on this innovative textiles ( we know that best French and Italian companies allready ask Saati samples to create their future collections ) .

www.piquadro.com

www.saati.com

www.ostistudio.it

THE WEARABLE ABBBBBSENCE PROJECT

esearchers involved in the program are working on developing intelligent textiles, that comfort the wearer by evoking memories of absent loved ones. Wearable Absence is part of the 2010 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences. It involves two teams of researchers, led by Professor Barbara Layne of Concordia University in Montreal, and Professor Janis Jefferies of the University of London. They have developed garments that are embedded with wireless sensors and bio-sensing devices that measure the wearer’s body temperature, heart rate, galvanic skin response and rate of respiration. The data is sent to an Internet database, which in turn sends back previously-recorded messages from an absent person. Those messages could include audio files played through speakers sewn into the clothing, or text, photographs or video displayed via a scrolling LED array woven into the fabric. Layne and Jeffries believe that the technology could have applications in fields such as health care – if a patient’s clothes detected that the person was upset, for instance, they could deliver comforting messages from family members. If Wearable Absence technology did make it into everyday clothing, however, it could make for some interesting scenarios. Imagine, for instance, if that hypothetical boss of yours was reading you the riot act, when his mom suddenly appeared on his shirt and told him to calm down. Definitely a brilliant way to defuse a tense situation. Please visit the website below to have more information about.

www.wearableabsence.com

CHARGE YOUR DEVICES INTO YOUR POCKET

breakthrough in wearable computing lets researchers change ordinary cotton and polyester into electronic textiles that can double as rechargeable batteries. That means powering an iPod or cell phone could become as easy as plugging it into your tee shirt or jeans and charging the clothing overnight. “Energy textiles will change the development of wearable electronics,” Liangbing Hu, one of the researchers from Stanford University involved in the project told Wired.com. “There are not that many solutions available for energy storage for wearable devices. Electronic textiles tries to solve that problem.” Wearable electronics is an attempt to create a new category of devices that are flexible and lightweight such as wearable displays, embedded health monitors and textiles with electronics melded in.  In case of textiles, though, most attempts, so far, to integrate electronics involve patching sensors and resistors on to existing fabric. The latest attempt tries to bring the electronics to the molecular level. The researchers coated cellulose and polyester fibers with ‘ink’ made from single-walled carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes are electrically conductive carbon fibers barely 1/50,000 the width of a human hair. The process of dyeing with this special ink is similar to that used for dyeing fibers and fabrics in the textile industry, they say. Details of the method were published in a paper in the ACS’ Nano Letters journal. The coating makes the fibers highly conductive by turning them into porous conductors. The treated textiles can then be used as electrodes and standard textiles used as separators to creates fully stretchable supercapacitors. Ordinary capacitors are used to store energy. Supercapacitors can offer turbocharge that principle such that the capacitor can be charged and discharged virtually an unlimited number of times. “If you have a high surface area, you can store a high amount of charges,” says Hu. “Since we coat carbon nanotubes on textile fibers, it increases the surface and allows for charge and discharge cycles up to one million times,” says Hu. The electronic textiles produced by this method retain the flexibility and stretchability of regular cotton and polyester. They also kept their electronic properties despite simulated repeated laundering, say the researchers. The next step is to combine it with inks of other materials that could help turn the fabric into wearable solar cells and batteries. The researchers are also looking to use graphene, a form of carbon derived from graphite oxide, instead of carbon nanotubes. “Graphene can be much cheaper than nanotubes,” says Hu, “so alternative materials like that could significantly reduce the cost of energy textiles.”

CARBON NANOTUBES: used to make batteries from fabrics

he nanotubes stay put and function even when the fabric is stretched. Ordinary cotton and polyester fabrics have been turned into batteries that retain their flexibility. The demonstration is a boost to the nascent field of “wearable electronics” in which devices are integrated into clothing and textiles. The approach is based on dipping fabrics in an “ink” of tiny tubes of carbon, and was first demonstrated last year on plain copier paper. The new application to fabrics is reported in the journal Nano Letters. “Wearable electronics represent a developing new class of materials… which allow for many applications and designs previously impossible with traditional electronics technologies,” the authors wrote. A number of research efforts in recent years have shown the possibility of electronics that can be built on flexible and even transparent surfaces – leading to the often-touted “roll-up display”. However, the integration of electronics into textiles has presented different challenges, in particular developing approaches that work with ordinary fabrics. Now, Yi Cui and his team at Stanford University in the US has shown that their “ink” made of carbon nanotubes – cylinders of carbon just billionths of a metre across – can serve as a dye that can simply and cheaply turn a t-shirt into an “e-shirt”. The method was initially demonstrated using plain paper Battery made of paper charges up : The idea is the same as that outlined in their work with plain paper; the interwoven fibres of fabrics, like those of paper, are particularly suited to absorbing the nanotube ink, maintaining an electrical connection across the whole area of a garment. Cloth is simply dipped into a batch of nanotube dye, and is then pressed, to thin and even out the coating. The fabric maintains its properties even as it is stretched or folded. Even rinsing the samples in water and wringing them out does not change their electronic properties. “Our approach is easy and low-cost while producing great performance,” Professor Cui told BBC News. “Fabrics and paper represent two technologies with a thousand-year-old history. We combined ‘high-tech’ – nanotechnology – with traditional ‘low-tech’ to produce new applications.” The next step is to integrate the approach with materials that store more energy, in order to create more useful batteries. By combining the approach with other electronic materials in the ink, the team believes even wearable solar cells are possible.

FIBERTRONIC Co.Ltd.

s an innovation company focusing on the development and manufacture of soft electronic component solutions. Using our proprietary technologies for embedding micro-components into flexible substrates, we can create highly functional materials for application in soft or textile products. They have access to the latest developments in the electronic components industry enabling to create innovative and novel systems for a broad range of product applications. Fibretronic has extensive global facilities with design, development and sales functions in Europe and the USA, supported by in-house volume manufacturing in Asia. These resources, together with Fibretronic’s unparalleled expertise in electronic textile systems development means that they have all the capabilities to support your most advanced projects.

Fibretronic is the leading developer and manufacturer of soft electronic component solutions. Their platform technologies, such as textile based switches and keypads, fabric iPod controls, wearable sensor and lighting systems and other soft-format electronics are available for immediate application in a broad range of textile and related products. Fibretronic’s flexible electronic solutions are designed specifically for seamless integration into soft environments such as clothing, upholstery and medical textiles. Also their innovation-led approach means that the product range stays fresh and at the cutting edge. Their aim is to provide designers and developers with the new materials they need to create revolutionary products of the future. Fibretronic’s patented platform technologies offer a wide range of highly functional electronic systems suitable for integration into textile based products both standard systems as well as customized solutions designed to meet specific  requirements. Products can be supplied with fully finished textile detailing such as molding, embossing, printing or other trimming features so that they are ready prepared for easy assembly into the final article. They also supply their systems in modular formats with Velcro, snap or magnetic fastenings to allow for the easy attachment to the finished product. Product range includes:

•Flexible switches and keypads systems

•Textile cable systems for signal or power transport

•Flexible lighting and display components

•Textile based security locks

•Flexible light sensors and temperature sensors

•Flexible pressure and moisture sensors

•Connectivity solutions and electronic accessories

•Wireless interfaces

•Bluetooth audio streaming

The electronic systems can be applied to almost any soft product. This versatility gives designers and developers the scope to create exciting new products with advanced functionality and embedded intelligence. Fibretronic has a unique range of electronic products designed specifically for wearable applications in garments, bags and other clothing accessories. Products include keypads, switches, joystick controllers, lighting systems, signal cables, 2-way radio communication systems and a range of sensor technologies. They can be supplied in a form suitable for permanent integration into the finished clothing item. Alternatively, the company can also supply these products in modular formats to allow for the easy attachment/detachment of the system to the final article. The range of iPod controllers includes keypads, joysticks and self-contained control modules in both wired and wireless formats. Additionally they can also supply Bluetooth audio streaming for wireless headphones. Fibretronic’s range of switches, sensors and lighting systems can be also seamlessly integrated into upholstered surfaces to create advanced interior products with electronic functionality. Sensors incorporated into automotive seating can be used for occupancy detection whilst switches embedded in car door panel upholstery offer new interfacing solutions for the control of interior electronics.

For domestic or commercial interiors, sensors can be incorporated into furniture, carpets and other soft surfaces to carry out monitoring of interior spaces for occupancy detection, environmental sensing, energy management or security. Switches and keypads incorporated into furniture provide new design formats for the control of interior electronics. Fibretronic has also  a range of technical sensor systems designed for temperature, moisture and pressure detection in soft or wearable environments. They can supply single sensor products customized to individual specifications as well as more complex multi-sensor systems with interfacing hardware and software.  In the healthcare sector, sensors can be incorporated into clothing, bandages, bedding or seating for unobtrusive patient monitoring. In the sportswear market, sensors can be applied to footwear, garments and other soft accessory products to allow the wearer’s activity or performance levels to be monitored. CONNECTED wear™ is a global Plug & Play system of embedded controls for consumer apparel and other wearable products. Keypads and Joysticks are found in a wide range of garments, bags and accessories, they link you easily with  iPods, audio players, mobile phones and other personal electronics.

• Security for  mobile phone, iPod or MP3 player. Keep them hidden away whilst retaining control of them.

• Hands free operation of gloves.

• Easy remote control of simple device functions

• Protection for your devices from rain, snow and cold.

• Control your devices while running or on your bike

• Connect to devices using standard connectors or wireless by Bluetooth.

All apparel, bags, gloves and other types of soft goods fitted with CONNECTEDwear™ Keypads or Joysticks can connect to any of the electronic controllers in the CONNECTEDwear™ range. Many of the world’s leading apparel brands are now integrating CONNECTEDwear™ interfaces in their most advanced products. ( Outerwear Jackets, Casual Jackets, Hoodies & Fleece, Soft Shell Jackets, Suits & Blazers, Trousers & Jeans, Gloves & Accessories, Backpacks & Bags, Electronics armbands and holsters). Fibretronic has launched also a new range of high brightness LED products designed for technical lighting applications in outerwear, bags and other wearable accessories. The lighting range, which Fibretronic is selling under the ‘I-Lume’ brand, includes light emitting buttons which can be sewn or bonded into clothing to add high visibility features. The buttons can be simply pressed to turn the light on/off or to make it flash. They are available in a variety of colors and the button molding can also be customized to a specific logo or design. The “I-Lume” range also includes a high brightness torch module which is designed to be sewn or bonded into jackets, gloves or backpacks to provide a useful light beam function for dark conditions. The torch module includes a light, an on/off switch and textile cable which connects to a small battery controller that can be stowed in a pocket.

Fibretronic’s Wearable Bluetooth Module

The unique BT-MOD product is a self-contained soft module for the handsfree operation of mobile phones and other devices. The Bluetooth enabled module incorporates a speaker, microphone, call answer/hang-up button and speaker volume controls. Also a mini USB port is included for battery charging. The product simply attaches to a garment or bag using Velcro. This allows the wearer to take calls without needing to remove their mobile phone handset from the safety of a pocket. The embedded speaker in the module also allows the user to listen to music stored on their mobile phone if so desired! The module has been designed to be weatherproof for outdoors use in snow, trek or streetwear applications.

For further information, technical specifications or pricing, you can contact Fibertronic in one of this places:

Fibretronic (UK) Limited

North Barn-Broughton Hall Business Park

Skipton-BD23 3AE

United Kingdom

email: info@fibretronic.com

Tel:+44 1756 796555

Fibretronic (USA) Limited

3933 South Hill Street

Los Angeles-CA 90037- USA

email: infous@fibretronic.com

Tel: +1 213 749 0510

Fibretronic (ASIA) Limited

5th Floor, Precious Industrial Centre

18 Cheung Yue Street

Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon-Hong Kong

email: infohk@fibretronic.com

Tel:+852 3758 7000

INTELLIGENT TEXTILES

highly interesting company  is ITL (Intelligent Textiles Limited) a UK based research and development company founded in 2002 specialized in the weaving of complex electrical circuits in conductive fabrics. Starting in the traditional application areas of consumer apparel (eg. wearable music player and phone controllers), healthcare (eg. biomonitoring) and flexible heating (eg. heated gloves), the company has recently become a specialist in the defence and first-responder arenas with the development of fabric personal-area-networks that reduce the burden of conventional power cables and data connections in digital soldier systems.

ITL has three basic lines of solutions: ‘detect’, a e-textile sensors for input functions like remote controls or keyboards, ‘heat’ to integrate low voltage heating elements into woven fabric and ‘connect’, a damage tolerant, e-textile based connection network between other e-textile components in a wearable electronic system. ITL’s E-Textile components are made by integrating a grid of electrically conductive yarn during the weaving process, allowing a large scale, cost efficient yet highly durable e-textile fabric production. The weaving process offers the high potential of lower production costs leading to a potentially lower component cost for E-Textile systems. E-Textile solutions like ITL is offering make life easier for the professionals and will help to pave the way for more durable solutions to become available for the consumer market. We have to mention that the first guy had the idea to built into a pant a kkeyboard was the dutch student Erik de Nijs ( see article below ).

To find out more just get in touch with ITL :

t.  +44 (0)1784 460 062 www.intelligenttextiles.com

K-PANTS by Erik De Nijs

Erik De Nijs, Young Genius Designer of the Keyboard Pants, Explains His Nascent Design Philosophy:

y name is Erik De Nijs, I’m 22 years old and I’m a third-year product design student at the HKU in Utrecht Holland. HKU means “Hoge School voor de Kunsten Utrecht,” which means high school for arts Utrecht. I know I should make some kind of internet site so people can contact me if they want something, but I just don’t have so much time for that. I promised to explain my concept of the beauty and the geek jeans, so here it is. I also send some pictures. The jeans were designed for an assignment for school. The teacher’s name is Guido Ooms (www.oooms.nl). He has been a student at the design academy in Eindhoven. The assignment was to take two brands and combine them so that there would be a new product. Important was that there would be some tension between the two brands and that these brands weren’t an obvious combination. The example he gave was the Senseo coffee machine by Philips and Douwe Egberds (Douwe Egberds is a coffee company), only this cooperation between those two brands is too obvious for the assignment. The assignment was called branding. I did the assignment a little bit different. Instead of picking two brands and finding a combination, I was looking for a combination of two products, which would create a new kind of product which would be special. And afterwards I could brand them. So I came up with the idea of putting a keyboard in your pants, and to make jeans with all the important computer stuff (like a mouse, keyboard and the speakers) in it. Besides the new look the jeans would get, there was some sort of freedom behind your computer screen. You didn’t have to be stiff behind your screen, but you can move in any position you want because the keyboard would be in the same place. I made jeans I would like to wear. In holland, we say baggy jeans. These jeans are a bit loose, so there was enough space to build in the keyboard and the speakers. The jeans I made is a concept which is designed to work with a wireless bluetooth connection. In the model I made, this connection is not there, but a plug is connected to your laptop. This plug looks like a belt, which is put around your waist when you’re not connected. If I develop the model, I will make it with a full wireless USB connection because it is possible. But for the model I had to make in 3 weeks, I used a plug connection. If I would design a new model, I would do some things different. The jeans have stitches like the pattern of a mother board from your computer. This gives the jeans some technological look. I designed the back pocket for the wireless mouse in a way that sticks out a little bit, so the mouse fits in perfectly. The speakers are on the side of your knees where your leg bends. The mouse is connected to your pants with elastic, so if it falls, it does not break. So I did not create the jeans to solve the problem of sitting still behind your screen. It was an outcome from another perspective. I wanted to create something that had something playful over it. I don’t know how I should describe it, but what I’m looking for in all my products is an extra twist, not just a product that looks good or functions well. I want to put something extra in it. I hope you understand it a little bit because i think it is hard to explain in English. if you look at the products Guido Ooms makes, you maybe can see what I’m talking about. He says his products are to make life more fun. I’m not saying this is my philosophy because, to be totally honest, I don’t know what my philosophy of designing exactly is yet. I’m also not saying these are the kind of products I will be making in the future, it’s just that his products have an extra twist, and I find that very interesting. I’m not specially interested in designing technological products. If there needs to be some technique to create my concept, I will use it.

Erik De Nijs

ASRD™ A Step in the Right Direction

Step in the Right Direction is a sneaker based wearable technology project designed by Stefan Dukaczewski / MSTRPLN in collaboration with Ubiq boutique. The idea of footwear was pushed further by converging elements of digital culture with fashion and design into a wearble technology. The end product is a sneaker designed to detect Wi-Fi wireless internet hot-spots wherever the user may roam, with every step. The ASRD™ sneaker is equipped with an integrated wireless internet detection unit embedded under the flap of the left shoe. Once the pressure sensitive insole is activated, the unit scans the surrounding area for Wi-Fi signals and displays the result through LEDs. The three LEDs on the flap enclosure represent the signal strength of any wireless internet signals within a 50 meter area.

A blinking LED represents no signal, while a solid LED shows that there is a signal present. The ASRD™ is based on the Nike Dunk platform and was re-engineered by MSTRPLN to fit the needs of this project. The aesthetics of the shoe keep in theme with a covert and stealthy feel. This is represented through the subdued all-black color way and additional technical features, notably the shroud style lace-saver that takes design cues from the skate shoes of the late 80’s. Additionally, the ASRD™ uses a dual-laciStefan Dukaczewski is a multi-disciplinary designer based out of Montreal Canada. Since 2001, he has worked on compelling projects within the spectrum of design for clients both locally and internationally, under the guise of MSTRPLN.

The design philosophy behind MSTRPLN has ultimately been to create awareness through the highest quality of work produced, regardless of medium. Clean design, attention to detail, and provoking thought through conceptual development could best describe the MSTRPLN methodology and approach to each project.ng system developed so that the shoe could be laced either internally with speed loops, or laced in the conventional manner. Lace locks keep everything under control.“Nike was not directly involved with the ASRD™ project ” say Stefan. “The project was done in conjunction with Ubiq Boutique in Philadelphia (www.ubiqlife.com ) which is one of the premiere sneaker & streetwear boutiques in North America. I chose the Nike Dunk for this project because it offered the perfect platform based on its aesthetics and function. I am able to work with many cool companies and cool projects if they are something that work well with the MSTRPLN image”.

Contact Information: Stefan Dukaczewski / MSTRPLN

asrd@mstrpln.com
www.mstrpln.com

Wi-Fi Networks Detector T-Shirt

ooting up your laptop only to find there are no Wi-Fi networks nearby is a pain. Thankfully, geeks everywhere can now find a signal for surfing by simply looking down at their apparel. The Wi-Fi Detector Shirt has a base station design on its front with signal waves emanating from it that apparently glow according to the intensity of a nearby network’s strength. For example, a weak signal may only light up a couple of bars on your shirt, while a stronger signal could illuminate all of them. Compatible with 802.11b/g and runs on three AAA batteries that sit inside a small pocket sewn into the shirt – but which aren’t included.

If you’re a messy surfer, the Wi-Fi decal can be removed so the t-shirt can be washed. It’s a nifty bit of nerd-clobber, although we’re not entirely convinced by the retailer’s claims that geeky chicks will swoon at the wearer’s presence or that people will bow to you as their “reverential Wi-Fi god”. The glowing bars on the front of the shirt dynamically change as the surrounding wi-fi signal strength fluctuates.

Product Features:

•Glowing animated shirt dynamically displays the current wi-fi signal strength.

•Shows signal strength for 802.11b or 802.11g

•Black 100% Cotton T-Shirt

•Animated Decal is Removable (with hook and loop fasteners) for Easy Washing

•Battery Pack is Concealed in a Small Pocket Sewn Inside the Shirt

•Runs for hours off three AAA Batteries (not included)

If you need to get in touch with the manufacturer, here belowyou can find his contact:

Room 207, Xingye Building, 31- Guantai Road, Nancheng, Dongguan, Guangdong 523070, China

Tel: 86-769-22992719

E-Mail: sales@zhen-teng.com

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Textile Antennas  by Patria Aviation Oy & Centre for Wireless Communications – University of Oulu (Finland)

lexible antennas are becoming evermore attractive, since the recent developments in wearable computing have opened several possibilities to integrate wireless functions to clothing. The scope of this study is to demonstrate that flexible antennas are feasible in personal satellite communications. The project work contains complete design flow, from substrate material selection and characterization to actual design implementation and verification. The resulting demonstrator antenna is capable to operate at Iridium band under nominal human body environment as part of clothing. This is the ultimate goal and the actual measure of success from the project point of view. The overall objective of this activity is to study and analyze the viability of the textile (flexible) substrate materials for antenna elements and arrays. More specifically, the objective is to demonstrate compliance with satellite antenna user requirements using textile (flexible) substrate materials for antenna elements and/or arrays.

This shall be achieved by design, manufacture and testing of a breadboard textile antenna taking into account operational conditions. Selected demonstration application is the Iridium satellite phone system. The Iridium satellites operate at low altitudes (Low Earth Orbit, LEO) which make the communication possible between satellite and end-user without huge antennas. There is a coarse picture below about the use case, where textile antennas (blue patch) are located on both shoulders. Designed textile antenna shall be compliant with the Iridium system. Project output in hardware point of view is the antenna prototypes. No additional electronics e.g. antenna switches or transceivers are developed under this project. The selected application defines the antenna polarization. It requires that the antenna is circularly polarized. The operational frequency band is the Iridium band (L-band). Since the antenna is intended to be integrated as part of clothing it is considered to be self-conformal. It means that flexible wearable antennas can adapt its form according to the body where the antenna is attached. In addition, the self-conformal antennas are capable of re-adjusting its form as a function of time. There is a figure of the antenna EM-simulation model and the preliminary antenna prototype built on flexible substrate. However, this is only a glimpse of the complete selection of different flexible substrate materials under study. The preliminary antenna structure and patch shape can be seen from the figure. The dot in the patch is the antenna feed point. It is emphasized that this is a preliminary design which requires further iterations. Final implementation of the textile antenna is presented. Flexibility is demonstrated by bending the antenna as shown in the figure below. The structure of the antenna allows it to be bent similar way in each direction: vertical, horizontal and diagonal. Furthermore, the antenna meets the electrical specifications under bending conditions. Radiating element is shielded against environmental conditions using protective clothing. Measured 3D radiation patterns are shown for bent and unbent antennas to demonstrate the designed antenna performance. Axial ratio values in the 3D radiation patterns are in dB. It is emphasized that the designed antenna maintains circular polarization even under bending conditions, which is commonly recognized to be hard to achieve with soft, wearable antennas. The main benefits of the textile antennas are summarized:

•Light weight,

•Inexpensive,

•Low maintenance,

•No set-up requirements,

•No damage from obstacles (robust),

•Unnoticeable (military).

Current Status (dated: 06 Jul 2009): The project has been on-going now for a bit over fourteen months and the work has proceeded as planned. Achievements so far include the completion of the survey of the state of the art textile antennas. Furthermore, the demonstration application has been selected and the requirements for the antenna are defined. Preliminary antenna design has been made in order to determine the antenna patch geometry. Textile substrate has been selected and electrically characterized. The antenna structure is iterated to its final implementation during detailed antenna design. As a result, compliant antenna for the selected application is achieved. Several antenna samples of the final design have been manufactured for measurements. Currently the measurement of the textile antennas is on-going.

Gas Insulated Clothing – Klymit Gas Insulated Outerwear

as insulated clothing like this Klymit Gas Insulated Outerwear is a cool new way to stay warm and off course insulated. This gas insulated clothing requires you to have a small gas canister with which to inflate the interior lining of the clothing. The Klymit Gas Insulated Outerwear can also be deflated easily, so body temperature can be controlled almost instantly. That means no more layering with fleece, down or synthetic insulation and now you can turning your windbreaker into your ski parka whenever you’d like. We found some of the benefits of this technology to be the fact that is was weightless, loft retaining, warm when wet, thin, trapped the heat and eco-Friendly. Klymit shows off gas insulated outerwear at Outdoor Retailer www.examiner.com 2009-07-280 The Outdoor Retailer ’09 Summer Market has started, and the Salt Palace Convention Center was packed wall to wall with exhibitors, retailers and press, all looking for the next big thing in outdoor gear and technology.

Klymit is one company in particular that stood out with their novel way of using gas as insulation as opposed to down or synthetics. Klymit is a Utah company based out of Ogden that makes climate controlled outerwear by using this gas technology. Klymit was founded in 2007 by Nate Alder, a BYU student who came up with the idea of using noble gases as insulation while he was on a diving trip in Brazil. While there, he discovered that deep sea divers use noble gases in dry suits to keep them warm in cold water. Alder figured that the same premise could be used in winter sports activities and industrial applications. Noble gases such as Argon, Krypton and Xenon are known by scientists to retain heat over long periods of time, and these gases are what will soon be used to keep people warm in the future. The problem for Alder was figuring out a way to get the gas into the jackets.After hiring a team of developers, and designing jackets and vests capable of being inflated with gas, a simple way of delivering noble-gas insulation into a piece of clothing was found, and it only required the touch of a button. They invented a small gas canister that attaches to the jacket to inflate the interior lining. With the touch of another button, the jacket deflates, so body temperature can be controlled almost instantly. That means no more layering with fleece, down or synthetic insulation. Klymit is preparing to partner with several outdoor gear companies who are committed to using this cool new technology in ski wear, camping gear and even military outfits. An inflatable camping pad is also in the works along with a line of insulating vests. Although Klymit products are not in stores quite yet, Alder says they will be within a few months. In the meantime, the Klymit website is taking pre-orders from anyone who is interested in experiencing a new and completely innovative way of keeping warm. As well as being the talk of the Outdoor Retailer ’09 Summer Market, Klymit was also recently featured in a KUTV 2 News report which can be watched below.

NANOTECHNOLOGY & TEXTILES

o what is Nanotechnology ? Nanotechnology is defined as the science and technology of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules, or the branch of engineering that deals with things smaller than 100 nanometers. A nanometer is about ten thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair. Nanotechnology deals with and manipulates anything that occurs within the scale of a nanometer. Nanotechnology is an extension of the field of materials science. Materials science departments at colleges and universities around the world are leading the way in current nanotechnology breakthroughs. The term Nanotechnology is also often used to describe the interdisciplinary fields of science devoted to the study of the nanoscale phenomena utilized in Nanotechnology. The future benefits that nanotechnology research could serve include advances in telecommunications, information technology, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. For additional information on Nanotechnology, what it consists of as well as its current and future impacts on the world of science, simply select any Nanotechnology article or other interactive feature below. Among the many possibilities: Soft protective vests stronger than Kevlar; Bandages that can contract to put pressure on; Artificial muscles powered by electricity  much lighter than current hydraulics. Would make it easier to incorporate electronic sensors and actuators into clothing. All of these possible applications derive from the remarkable properties of carbon nanotubes; the ability to conduct both heat and electricity along with the extreme toughness of the fiber. The researchers created the yarn by growing a mat of fibres on a substrate, called a nanotube forest. A sharp, pointed instrument then pulled at the fibres along the plane of the substrate. Atkinson said the tubes then formed into a “conga line” and were twisted and wrapped around each other as they were pulled. “As long as there are fibres in the forest, you can make a yarn as long as you want. You get a very even strand,” he said. “People say how can you spin something that is one-third of a millimetre long, but it is the length-to-diameter ratio that matters. We use fibres with a 10 nanometre diameter and put in a lot of wraps.” Science fiction writer Neal Stephenson wrote about arachnofiber uniforms in his 1992 novel Snow Crash. These bulletproof and lightweight uniforms were worn by the Deliverators, the world’s best pizza delivery guys. If you are interested in how technology is producing science-fictional clothing, take a look at Scentsory Chameleon Bodysuit: Biometric Fashion. Bulletproof vests and body armor tends to be rigid – but not Liquid Body Armor in Two Flavors – Shear Thickening and Magnetorheological.

Self-Cleaning Underwear Goes Weeks Without Washing (by Bill Christensen)

Self-cleaning fabrics could revolutionize the sport apparel industry. The technology, created by scientists working for the U.S. Air Force, has already been used to create t-shirts and underwear that can be worn hygenically for weeks without washing. The new technology attaches nanoparticles to clothing fibers using microwaves. Then, chemicals that can repel water, oil and bacteria are directly bound to the nanoparticles. These two elements combine to create a protective coating on the fibers of the material. This coating both kills bacteria, and forces liquids to bead and run off. The U.S. military spent more than $20 million to develop the fabric, deriving from research originally intended to protect soldiers from biological weapons. Jeff Owens, one of the scientists who worked to develop the process, said, “During Desert Storm, most casualties were from bacterial infections—not accidents or friendly fire. We treated underwear for soldiers who tested them for several weeks and found they remained hygienic. They also helped clear up some skin complaints.” Science fiction writer Neal Stephenson wrote specifically about nanotech fabrics that stayed clean; he referred to “fabricules” in his 1995 novel The Diamond Age: …with a quick brush, John and Gwendolyn were able to transfer most of the dirt onto their white gloves. From there it went straight into the air. Most gentlemen’s and ladies’ gloves nowadays were constructed of infinitesimal fabricules that knew how to eject dirt…British news organizations pointed out that an earlier reference to the general idea of clothes that never got dirty can be found in the 1951 film “The Man in the White Suit.” Sci-fi fans can console themselves with the fact that the lead role was played by Alec Guiness, who of course played Obiwan Kenobi in the original Star Wars films.

Microscopic Barcodes Identify Biological Weapons Quickly (by Scott Fields)

The scientists rendering of the complex nano_barcodes and the “sandwhiches” they’d look for to identify biological weapons. Credit: J. Tok. The scientists rendering of the complex nano_barcodes and the “sandwhiches” they’d look for to identify biological weapons. Credit: J. Tok. Microscopic metal wires marked with barcodes like so many boxes of grocery-store spaghetti maight someday help identify biological weapons much more quickly than today’s methods. The technology would allow soldiers to use the right kind of anti-pathogen protection at just the right time. At present, to identify biological weapons, whether a bacteria such as anthrax, a virus such as smallpox, or a toxin such as botulism, samples must be collected from the battlefield and cultured in controlled laboratories. The new system would be very small and work virtually instantaneous, said Jeffrey Tok, a researcher at Lawrence Livermore National  Laboratory and team leader for a multi-institution group that is developing the system. How it’s made? The core of this portable, lickity-split bioweapon recognition system is an amalgamation of two parts. One is the tiny wires, which are about 250 nanometers around (about 300 times smaller than a human hair) and 6,000 nanometers long. The other is an assortment of antibodies, the proteins that the body produces to directly attack, or direct the immune system to attack, cells that viruses, bacteria, and other unpleasant intruders infect. Each type of pathogen calls for a unique antibody. The tiny wires—made by an independent company —are electrochemically formed and then layered with bands of silver, gold, and nickel to produce patterns that are similar to the ubiquitous barcodes found on products worldwide. Then antibodies are essentially glued to the miniscule wires. Just as a box of 9-inch nails gets one barcode and a box set of classic Nine Inch Nails CDs gets another, anthrax antibodies are attached to nanowires with one code and smallpox antibodies are attached to nanowires with another. “In the end you will have a pool of various striped nanowires each of which will have a unique antibody assigned to it, which is to detect for that particular pathogen,” Tok explained. How it works? To identify pathogens, millions of barcoded, antibody-carrying nanowires are floated in a neutral liquid called an assay buffer, into which samples of suspected pathogens are injected. If a pathogen (or a cell in the pathogen called an “antigen”) meets its corresponding antibodies, the two will join, creating a nanowwire, antibody, antigen sandwich that will fluoresce, or glow, under a special light. To ID the pathogens the system takes two digital mug shots in quick succession. In the first the special light is off, and the barcodes are visible. In the second the light is on and the pathogen-fingering nanowires are glowing. A computer then matches each glowing wire in photo two to its barcode in photo one. An important advantage of the system, Tok said, is that many kinds barcoded antibodies can be mixed together in the assay buffer liquid, which can be used over and over. For the test project four types of antibodies, and corresponding barcodes, were used. “In theory we could interrogate for as many as 100 different striped nanowires in one single snapshot,” he said “That makes the analysis very fast.”

Nanotechnology based smart yarn:

Chinese and U.S. researchers have developed a carbon nanotube-coated smart yarn which can conduct electricity and be woven into textiles to detect blood or to monitor health. According to one of the lead researchers, today’s smart textiles, which are made of metallic or optical fibers, are fragile and not comfortable. So the team combined two fibers, one natural and one created by nanotechnology, to build a new kind of smart textile. If a soldier wearing clothes made with this fabric was wounded, his mobile phone could alert a nearby patrol to save his life. But read more…Researchers can use its conductivity to design garments that detect blood.” (Credit: Nicholas Kotov lab, University of Michigan) You’ll find a much larger version and another photo on this page. This research project has been led at the University of Michigan by Nicholas Kotov, Professor of Chemical Engineering, and a member of his lab, PhD student Bongsup Shim. They’ve worked with Wei Chen, Chris Doty and Chuanlai Xu, researchers at Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. So how did this team build these smart textiles? “To make these ‘e-textiles,’ the researchers dipped 1.5-millimeter thick cotton yarn into a solution of carbon nanotubes in water and then into a solution of a special sticky polymer in ethanol. After being dipped just a few times into both solutions and dried, the yarn was able to conduct enough power from a battery to illuminate a light-emitting diode device. ‘This turns out to be very easy to do,’ Kotov said. ‘After just a few repetitions of the process, this normal cotton becomes a conductive material because carbon nanotubes are conductive.’ What are the properties of these smart textiles? “The only perceptible change to the yarn is that it turned black, due to the carbon. It remained pliable and soft. In order to put this conductivity to use, the researchers added the antibody anti-albumin to the carbon nanotube solution. Anti-albumin reacts with albumin, a protein found in blood. When the researchers exposed their anti-albumin-infused smart yarn to albumin, they found that the conductivity significantly increased. Their new material is more sensitive and selective as well as more simple and durable than other electronic textiles, Kotov said.”And what could be the applications for such materials? “Clothing that can detect blood could be useful in high-risk professions, the researchers say. An unconscious fire-fighter, ambushed soldier, or police officer in an accident, for example, couldn’t send a distress signal to a central command post. But the smart clothing would have this capability. Kotov says a communication device such as a mobile phone could conceivably transmit information from the clothing to a central command post.”In Carbon Nanotube Clothing Could Take Charge in an Emergency, Larry Greenemeier describes how these yarn could be used in a more expressive way. (Scientific American, December 12, 2008). ” soldier is badly wounded on the battlefield in Afghanistan or Iraq by a roadside explosive. As he lies beside his vehicle, unable to reach his radio to contact his unit on his location and condition, blood from the wound seeps into his shirt. Luckily, its fibers are coated with cylindrical, nanosize carbon molecules that contain antibodies able to detect the presence of albumin, a protein common in blood. The shirt senses that its wearer is bleeding and sends a signal through the shirt’s carbon nanotubes (1,000 times more conductive than copper) that activates an emergency radio-frequency beacon on the soldier’s belt. This distress call is picked up by a nearby patrol that rushes to the aid of their wounded comrade. This may be the stuff of science fiction, but ongoing development of fabrics coated with carbon nanotubes and other nanoscale substances could someday make such smart clothing a reality, says Nicholas Kotov.” This research work has been published by Nano Letters, an American Chemical Society journal, under the title “Smart Electronic Yarns and Wearable Fabrics for Human Biomonitoring made by Carbon Nanotube Coating with Polyelectrolytes. The idea of electronic yarns and textiles has appeared for quite some time, but their properties often do not meet practical expectations. In addition to chemical/mechanical durability and high electrical conductivity, important materials qualifications include weavablity, wearability, light weight, and ’smart’ functionalities. Here we demonstrate a simple process of transforming general commodity cotton threads into intelligent e-textiles using a polyelectrolyte-based coating with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Along with integrated humidity sensing, we demonstrate that CNT-cotton threads can be used to detect albumin, the key protein of blood, with high sensitivity and selectivity. Notwithstanding future challenges, these proof-of-concept demonstrations provide a direct pathway for the application of these materials as wearable biomonitoring and telemedicine sensors, which are simple, sensitive, selective, and versatile.”

Nanotube infused cotton yarns:

Presently, smart fabrics are manufactured from metallic or optical fibres. They wear away quickly, and are brittle and uncomfortable. Laundry of such textiles also proves to be troublesome. Nano technology has come up with an innovative way of combining the two fibres; one natural and the other nano technology. Cotton yarn with a thickness of 1.5 millimeters is dipped a few times in a solution of a special sticky polymer in ethanol and dried. This enables the yarn to conduct power from a battery to illuminate light emitting diode device. The antibody anti-albumin is added to the carbon nanotube solution. Anti-albumin reacts with albumin, a protein that is found in blood. When the anti-albumin infused yarns were exposed to albumin, the conductivity is increased considerably. This method is more sensitive, simple and durable. By repeating the process a few times, normal cotton becomes a conductive material due to the carbon nano tubes which are conductive in nature. After the process is complete, the cotton yarn still retains its soft and supple features. This yarn is much better comparatively over the current designs available for electrically conducting fabrics. The only change in the yarn is that it turns into black color due to the presence of carbon.

Potential Applications:

Fabrics made from these smart yarns have potential application in professions that involve high risk. A police officer in danger, a firefighter who is hurt while at work, a wounded soldier at the warfront may not be in a position to send a message requesting for help. But the apparels infused with smart yarns would be able to do it. The clothes can be designed accordingly; to store energy, which will provide power to operate small electronic devices. A mobile phone or any other form of communication device attached with the clothing can transmit the information from the garment to a command post. It can also be used in garments and used for monitoring health. It also foresees lucrative applications as performance apparel.The concept of electrically sensitive clothing made from nanotube infused cotton yarn can be adapted in various fields based on their exposure to potential risks. The burgeoning interest in nano technology opens a floodgate of opportunities for developing new and innovative products in the textile sector.

Here is an experiment:

Fashion designers and fiber scientists at Cornell have taken “functional clothing” to a whole new level. They have designed a garment that can prevent colds and flu and never needs washing, and another that destroys harmful gases and protects the wearer from smog and air pollution. The two-toned gold dress and metallic denim jacket, contain cotton fabrics coated with nanoparticles that give them functional qualities never before seen in the fashion world. Designed by Olivia Ong in the College of Human Ecology’s Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design, the garments were infused with their unusual qualities by fiber science assistant professor Juan Hinestroza and his postdoctoral researcher Hong Dong. Apparel design assistant professor Van Dyke Lewis launched the collaboration by introducing Ong to Hinestroza several months ago.”We think this is one of the first times that nanotechnology has entered the fashion world,” Hinestroza said. He noted one drawback may be the garments’ price: one square yard of nano-treated cotton would cost about $10,000. Ong’s dress and jacket, part of her original fashion line called “Glitterati,” look innocently hip. But closer inspection — with a microscope, that is — shows an army of electrostatically charged nanoparticles creating a protective shield around the cotton fibers in the top part of the dress, and the sleeves, hood and pockets of the jacket.”It’s something really moving toward the future, and really advanced,” said Ong, who graduates in December and aspires to design school. “I thought this could potentially be what fashion is moving toward.”Dong explained that the fabrics were created by dipping them in solutions containing nanoparticles synthesized in Hinestroza’s lab. The resultant colors are not the product of dyes, but rather, reflections of manipulation of particle size or arrangement.The upper portion of the dress contains cotton coated with silver nanoparticles. Dong first created positively charged cotton fibers using ammonium- and epoxy-based reactions, inducing positive ionization. The silver particles, about 10-20 nanometers across (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter) were synthesized in citric acid, which prevented nanoparticle agglomeration. Dipping the positively charged cotton into the negatively charged silver nanoparticle solution resulted in the particles clinging to the cotton fibers. Silver possesses natural antibacterial qualities that are strengthened at the nanoscale, thus giving Ong’s dress the ability to deactivate many harmful bacteria and viruses. The silver infusion also reduces the need to wash the garment, since it destroys bacteria, and the small size of the particles prevents soiling and stains.The denim jacket includes a hood, sleeves and pockets with soft, gray tweed cotton embedded with palladium nanoparticles, about 5-10 nanometers in length. To create the material, Dong placed negatively charged palladium crystals onto positively charged cotton fibers. Ong, though strictly a designer, was drawn especially to the science behind creating the anti-smog jacket.”I thought it would be cool if [wearers] could wipe their hands on their sleeves or pockets,” Ong said. Ong incorporated the resultant cotton fiber into a jacket with the ability to oxidize smog. Such properties would be useful for someone with allergies, or for protecting themselves from harmful gases in the contaminated air, such as in a crowded or polluted city.

INTELLIGENT SPORTSWEAR EXAMPLES:

inimalist and sleek looking on the outside, but packs a powerful punch with 39 hidden pockets. The Rodeo Jacket utilizes a patented Personal Area Network (PAN) mechanism that enables you to, “Run wires from cell phones and iPods®/MP3 players conveniently and securely inside the jacket”. You can have your tickets, keys, wallet, passport and all other items you need right inside your jacket. Other cool features include DeepPockets™ with magnetic pocket closures that prevent items from falling out of your pockets. The Rodeo Jacket is made from Teflon® treated microsuede that repels water and stains and silky lining. It is machine washable. All SeV products have tons of unique features you won’t find in any other garments.

These features allow you to discreetly carry AND use your gear, without looking like a total geek. “I created SCOTTEVEST/SeV® to solve a very common problem say Scott Jordan CEO and Founder.”I needed a way to carry and organize all my gadgets and gear. I am a gadget guy, but I had no way to carry them. My devices were all over the place, making it difficult to remember where I left them. I was regularly doing the gadget dance… you know that freak-out moment patting all your pockets trying to remember where you put your cell phone, etc. I decided to solve the problem, and hired a team of clothing designers and engineers (two groups that don’t typically get together much) to design clothes to address my problem – and SeV was born! Our clothes are attractive, our mantra is simple: Make great looking, functional clothing for an affordable price. Uniquely designed pockets hold all your stuff without getting in your way, and the patented Personal Area Network (PAN) from Technology Enabled Clothing – TEC® manages and conceals the wires from your iPod®. We offer many other features that make carrying your stuff easier, including TONS of ergonomically designed pockets, magnetic pocket closures (so your devices don’t fall out), and Weight Management SystemsTM to balance the weight from these added devices. SeV has come a long way and I’m excited to keep innovating for you, our loyal SeV fans”. For more info:

SCOTTEVEST INC. 12588 Highway 75, Unit G -PO Box 2626-Ketchum, Idaho 83340-2626

sales@scottevest.com www.scottevest.com

HERO 3 ICU iPod-Snowboard-Jacket

he HERO 3 ICU Audio/Mp3/iPod Snowboard Jackets are the way to go if you want to catch some tunes, or stay wirelessly connected to your phone while snowboarding. The Hero 3 ICU Audio/Mp3/iPod Snowboard Jacket features a dedicated iPod pocket with Fibertronic’s connected-wear controls integrated into the sleeve for use of the iPod, Fibretronic’s IP30 iPod module which is compatible with the full range of music and phone modules for audio and mobile phone controls, and an integrated RECCO Avalanche Rescue System. It also boasts a unique double-hood system with built-in reflective goggles. You can buy Hero 3 ICU Jacket for about $200.

BTR Rocket Jacket by Bailo

ade by italian outdoor specialists Bailo, a well established brand for high quality mountaineering and rescue apparel, boasts high performance features like a standard iPod controller plus the choice of any of QIO System’s control electronics like Bluetooth module, AM/FM radio or Walkie-Talkie system. With a Italian fashion flair and fit, the Bailo Trail Running (BTR) Rocket jacket will be the most advanced interactive jacket we have seen so far. The jacket will be made from GORE-TEX PACLITE, a extremely breathable and flexible fabric, and will also feature reflective details for increased visibility in low light conditions and a transparent plastic insert on the cuff allowing the read a watch. The Rocket jacket will be available in Spring 2009 and comes in the colors Grey, Black, Cobalt Blue and Red.

Aerotype Hi-Tech Jacket

luetooth jackets like this one, will keep you hooked up and warm on the mountain, the street, and anywhere else. These Bluetooth jackets are water-resistant, double-layered, and feature interactive PaniQ™ technology that allows safe remote use of Bluetooth or MP3 players, Recco Avalanche Rescue System and scholler-PCM technology, which actively balances temperature extremes. The PANiQ technology features on the Aerotype Hi-Tech Jacket lets you plug your iPod etc. into the interior pocket using the included connector and adjust controls on the sleeve to play, change volume/tracks and phone controls. Also cool is the Recco Avalanche Rescue System that helps locate an avalanche victim using a non-battery reflector and search equipment and the Interior and the scholler-PCM, which balances temperatures with Phase Change Materials that store surplus heat to emit when necessary. You can buy  this Aerotype Hi-Tech Jacket for about $1295.

AEGIX YKK  by Aegix Performance Apparel.

he AEGIX YKK Sportswear combines function and fashion to create clothes with an emphasis on protection. Company founder Dave Dobkin, who has sustained enough injuries during his 20-year career in extreme sports to fill a medical journal, knows exactly where it’s needed when it comes to alpine sportswear. AEGIX YKK Sportswear can be adjusted to both the individual wearer and the terrain and uses technology like Poron Urethane’s to build padded jackets and pants to save your butt and other body parts. The jacket above, the AEGIX A1 Jacket is a lightweight, hooded parka designed for all-weather conditions. The patent-pending integrated protective system focuses on key areas of the upper body that are most prone to injuries; shoulder, clavicle, arm, elbows, ribs and spine. The price is about $390.

Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket

lectrically heated clothing like this Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket will keep you warmer than yours friends in the cold days to come. Electrically heated clothing will heat your core and charge your electronics. The Mountain Hardwear Refugium Jacket is a lightly insulated, low profile jacket that’s pre-wired for Ardica Heat and Power Technology and charges your portable electronics on the go. So now while you’re hanging in the lift line or just stopping on the slopes, you can charge up small electronics. That’s really cool! You can buy this Jacket for $230.

THE NAVJACKET by O’Neill

dedicated navigation tool integrated into a high performance Gore-Tex® jacket for the mountains. The NavJacket is the product of an inspired partnership between O’Neill’s Wearable Electronics Department – the H Division, and MyGuide – a German  market leader in delivering navigation solutions based on GPS technology. The NavJacket instead allows you to easily navigate through the mountains with the help of the integrated display on the sleeve and the audio instructions in the hood. Simply enter your desired location and let the NavJacket guide you effortlessly down the slopes. And it doesn’t just stop with navigation. Your current speed, up-to-date local weather forecasts, and in-depth details about your route, such as distance and time have all been incorporated into the flexible display sleeve on the jacket using the latest technology. Using your mobile phone connected to the GPS unit, 3D views of the resorts as well as points of interest throughout the resort will also be available.An additional innovative feature of the NavJacket is a friend finder function, which will allow you to either track down friends, or choose to follow their path through the slopes. Eppo Van Berckelaer, O’Neill Global Marketing Director is excited about the strong innovation that continues to lead O’Neill. “The NavJacket strongly represents what the brand stands for,” he said. “It is about enhancing the experience in the mountains for the consumer. We have achieved our goal by teaming up with MyGuide, a strong player in the navigation market. Together we have managed to put cutting edge technology into our high quality products.” Aleks Ristic, VP Marketing of MyGuide is convinced that GPS will play an important role in future wearable technology. “The partnership with O’Neill allows us to leverage our GPS know-how into new market segments. We with co-development of the NavJacket, we are expanding our product range from car navigation into outdoor usage, where navigation is just one application of our technology. The market can expect further new innovations from ROAD group companies in the future”. The NavJacket will be tested on selected shops. For more information check out :

www.oneilleurope.com

AIR-CONDITIONING COOLING WEST by Entrak personal climate system

rom elite sportspeople to industrial workers and emergency services personnel, avoiding heat stress is critical to performance, productivity and in some cases, even staying alive. A air conditioner that follows you around sounds like a great idea if not a particularly practical one – so why not build one into your clothing? This is the concept behind this innovative cooling vest which uses two battery powered ventilation units concealed in its side pockets to circulate air through a permeable three-dimensional, pressure-resistant fabric at a rate of up to 550 litres (19.4 cubic ft) per minute. The result is a system that increases evaporation and keeps the user cool by supporting the natural thermo regulation system of the body. The ventilationVest from Entrak personal climate systems is designed to evenly distribute air around the torso and provide evaporative cooling for up to eight hours on a single battery charge.

The 10mm inner layer of 3-D polyester fabric provides a gap between the skin and clothes to better facilitate the movement of air and the two air fan cartridges can be switched on and off independently and the rate of flow is adjustable up to the maximum of 550 liters per minute. Featuring quiet operation (41dB-A), the vest weighs 2.87 lbs (1,300 g) or approximately 850 g (1.87 lbs) when the fan cartridges are removed and batteries can be recharged in around three hours. Cooling vests that successfully utilize liquids and high-tech materials are not new, particularly in terms of developing cool clothing for military use, but the use of fans represents a new trend in thinking about personal climate control. The range of potential applications for these kind of products in difficult conditions include the steel and chemical industry, fire brigades, armed forces, mining, forestry emergency services and for private sector use in sports and fitness pursuits.

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POWER FROM SHOES

ould walking or running generate enough energy to power your cell phone or GPS device? Dr. Ville Kaajakari has developed an innovative piezoelectric generator prototype small enough to be embedded in the sole of a shoe that’s designed to produce enough power to operate GPS receivers, location tags and eventually, even a cell phone. Harnessing kinetic energy is not without its challenges because it’s difficult to generate enough energy to power today’s applications. That’s where Kaajakari’s invention – which has recently been featured in the MEMS Investor Journal – comes in. The shoe generator uses a low-cost polymer transducer with metalized surfaces for electrical contact. Traditionally, ceramic transducers are hard and therefore unsuitable to use in shoes but Kaajakari’s generator is soft as well as strong so it could replace a normal heel shock absorber without loss to the user experience. According to Kaajakari, the new voltage regulation circuits can convert the piezoelectric charge into a usable voltage and combined with the polymer transducer give a time-averaged power of two milliwatts per shoe on an average walk – that’s comparable to lithium coin/button cells and enough to power running sensors, RF transponders and GPS receivers.”This technology could benefit, for example, hikers that need emergency location devices or beacons,” said Kaajakari. “For more general use, you can use it to power portable devices without wasteful batteries. Ultimately, we want to bring up the power levels up to a point where we could, in addition to sensors, charge or power other portable devices such as cell phones.” It will be interesting to see if Kaajakari’s inventiveness pays off – will shoes of the future be capable of charging mobile devices, and at the same time will our footsteps power the buildings we walk through?

POWER-GENERATING RUBBER: sheets harness body movement to power electrical devices

piece of silicone rubber imprinted with super-thin material that generates electricity when flexed could provide a source of power for mobile and medical devices. Engineers from Princeton University have developed power-generating rubber films that could be used to harness natural body movements such as breathing or walking in order to power electronic devices such as pacemakers or mobile phones. The material, which is composed of ceramic nanoribbons embedded onto silicone rubber sheets, generates electricity when flexed and is highly efficient at converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. Its developers say shoes made of the material could harvest the pounding of walking or running to power mobile electrical devices and, when placed against the lungs, sheets of the material could use the raising and falling breathing motions of the chest to power pacemakers. This would negate the current need for surgical replacement of the batteries which power the devices. Plus, because the silicone is biocompatible and is already used for cosmetic implants and medical devices, “the new electricity-harvesting devices could be implanted in the body to perpetually power medical devices, and the body wouldn’t reject them,” said Michael McAlpine, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, at Princeton, who led the project to develop the material. To produce the material the researchers first fabricated lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nanoribbons in strips so narrow that 100 fit side by side in a space of a millimeter. PZT is a ceramic material that is piezoelectric, meaning it generates an electrical voltage when pressure is applied to it. Of all piezoelectric materials, PZT is the most efficient, able to convert 80% of the mechanical energy applied to it into electrical energy. “PZT is 100 times more efficient than quartz, another piezoelectric material,” said McAlpine. “You don’t generate that much power from walking or breathing, so you want to harness it as efficiently as possible.” In a separate process, the team then embedded these ribbons into clear sheets of silicone rubber, creating what they call “piezo-rubber chips.” The Princeton team is the first to successfully combine silicone and nanoribbons of PZT. In addition to generating electricity when it is flexed, the opposite is true: the material flexes when electrical current is applied to it. This opens the door to other kinds of applications, such as use for microsurgical devices, McAlpine said. “The beauty of this is that it’s scalable,” said Yi Qi, a postdoctoral researcher who works with McAlpine. “As we get better at making these chips, we’ll be able to make larger and larger sheets of them that will harvest more energy.”