The fabric field has recently begun experimenting with technology inside of fabric, with many American brands and colleges pouring resources into the subject to provide smart clothing that assists with daily lives.
Fabric has long been a staple in society. It has even assisted in the success of many civilizations such as Medieval China where it was a popular trade item. However, it has gone nearly unmodified since its origin.
Certain companies have recently tried to make improvements to clothing, with Google’s Jacquard project being a prime example. Google joined clothing brands such as Levi’s and Adidas and tried adding features connecting your clothes to your smartphone.
Similar to Google, Wearablex, a new technology company, created yoga pants that would improve your experience with vibrations. This project also used smartphones as a “brain.”
Currently, the spotlight is on fibers that are small, controllable, and versatile that are woven into fabrics to add benefits like compression. Many early designs have already been made. The University of New South Wales made silicon tubes that are both pre-programmable and capable of changing shape. MIT designed fibers able to sense their surroundings. However, both of these designs are still flawed, with New South Wales’ being too large and incapable of sensing its surroundings and MIT’s being susceptible to damage while being washed.
This innovative concept stands out since it adds to existing ideas and isn’t an entirely new one. When vegan alternatives like ‘Impossible’ focused on imitating real meat, they saw massive success. Like ‘Impossible,’ these brands offer additional features or benefits on existing products with little or even no downside. A professor at MIT described it as “look exactly, feel exactly, wear exactly, wash exactly like the fabric you’re wearing right now.”
So far, high-tech fibers still haven’t “reached their full potential.” A professor at MIT claims the technology is in “the pre-iPhone announcement [stage].” However, with only upsides and the emphasis placed on them, it won’t be long until these fibers also become a staple.
article:
Shapeshifting-robotic-clothes-could-help-people-stand-up-The-Washington-Post-8
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Fabric has long been a staple in society. It has even assisted in the success of many civilizations such as Medieval China where it was a popular trade item. However, it has gone nearly unmodified since its origin.
Certain companies have recently tried to make improvements to clothing, with Google’s Jacquard project being a prime example. Google joined clothing brands such as Levi’s and Adidas and tried adding features connecting your clothes to your smartphone.
Similar to Google, Wearablex, a new technology company, created yoga pants that would improve your experience with vibrations. This project also used smartphones as a “brain.”
Currently, the spotlight is on fibers that are small, controllable, and versatile that are woven into fabrics to add benefits like compression. Many early designs have already been made. The University of New South Wales made silicon tubes that are both pre-programmable and capable of changing shape. MIT designed fibers able to sense their surroundings. However, both of these designs are still flawed, with New South Wales’ being too large and incapable of sensing its surroundings and MIT’s being susceptible to damage while being washed.
This innovative concept stands out since it adds to existing ideas and isn’t an entirely new one. When vegan alternatives like ‘Impossible’ focused on imitating real meat, they saw massive success. Like ‘Impossible,’ these brands offer additional features or benefits on existing products with little or even no downside. A professor at MIT described it as “look exactly, feel exactly, wear exactly, wash exactly like the fabric you’re wearing right now.”
So far, high-tech fibers still haven’t “reached their full potential.” A professor at MIT claims the technology is in “the pre-iPhone announcement [stage].” However, with only upsides and the emphasis placed on them, it won’t be long until these fibers also become a staple.
article:
Shapeshifting-robotic-clothes-could-help-people-stand-up-The-Washington-Post-8
Download
