A single strand of fiber developed at Washington State University (WSU) has the flexibility of cotton and the electric conductivity of a polymer, called polyaniline. While more development is needed, the idea is to integrate fibers like these into apparel as sensor...
A sweater knitted from a fiber that mimics polar bear fur offers as much warmth as a down jacket, despite being one-fifth as thick, according to a study published last month in Science. The fiber — made from a light, synthetic material known as an aerogel — maintains...
High-tech Dutch fashion designer Anouk Wipprecht has unveiled a new futuristic 3D-printed dress that responds to its environment through LEDs. Created in collaboration with Chromatic 3D Materials, a 3D-printing technology company, the motion-activated design is among...
SMART ePANTS, which sounds like ‘smarty pants’ when spoken out loud, is a US government program seeking to develop active smart textiles (AST) with sensors, cameras, and wires woven directly into garments. The person wearing this technology, in the form of a shirt,...
Every morning, thousands of construction workers in Qatar start their day by soaking their uniforms in water. The two-minute ritual kick-starts an important process: When the workers are toiling outside - often at summer temperatures above 120F (48C) - their uniforms...
Polartec®, a Milliken & Company brand, announced the launch of Fresh Face, a natural, renewable and biodegradable odor reducer for fabric technologies. Leveraging the power of botanical mint oil, the plant-based deodorizer offers a sustainable alternative...
The same qualities that make a knitted sweater comfortable and easy to wear will allow robots to better interact with humans. The RobotSweater, developed by a research team from Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute, is a machine-knitted textile “skin” that...
Growing interest in wearable technology has created a promising environment for the smart clothing industry. Experts from Acumen Research and Consulting predict that smart clothing and e-textiles will grow to US $ 15.09 billion by 2028 and may exceed US $ 30 billion...
Although many groups are developing power-generating “smart fabrics,” the technology is often too complex to be scaled up to commercial use. Now, however, scientists have devised a simple method of embroidering electrical generators onto regular fabric. It...
Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in collaboration with the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), have developed an acoustic fabric capable of interacting with its wearer. The discovery could potentially improve the daily lives of...
A restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden, is asking staff to wear aprons that capture greenhouse gas from the air. The aprons were produced in a pilot scheme developed by H&M-backed researchers, as the fashion industry struggles to lower its climate impact. The Hong Kong...
For more than a decade now, a bright promise in apparel has loomed just over the horizon. Smart clothes with sensors and next-generation textiles could transform our wardrobes into health-tracking garments. These ideas haven't just come from startups. Even companies...
