Smart clothes

GS PAPER III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Context: Smart clothes powered with sensors can help monitor health.

• Researchers at Purdue University have developed a way to transform cloth materials into smart interfaces that not only connects to smartphones and laptops, but also helps people monitor health status.
• These ‘smart clothes’ are powered wirelessly through a flexible, silk-based coil sewn on the textile and are laundry resistant.
• The smart fabric does not require a battery, and can be powered via Wi-Fi or radio waves.
• The smart clothes contain miniaturised electronic circuits and sensors, which will enable connection to smartphones, laptops, cars and other machines, and will monitor the user’s health.
• The fingertips of a wireless voltage detection glove illuminates when the wearer’s hand approaches a live cable.
• The cloth is sprayed with highly hydrophobic molecules that are rendered to become repellent to water, oil, and mud.
• These smart clothes are almost impossible to stain and can be used underwater and washed in conventional washing machines without damaging the electronic components sewn on their surface.
• Additionally, the ultra-thin coating on the clothing makes it flexible, stretchable and breathable as conventional cotton t-shirts.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/smart-clothes-powered-with-sensors-can-help-monitor-health/article34899662.ece?homepage=true