| Wearable Electronics is a term we use to | | | | metallic yarns into fabrics for decorative |
| describe the basic technology for integrating | | | | purposes. The first conductive fabric used |
| electronics into clothing. Electronic | | | | was silk organza, which contains two types of |
| assistants are supposed to be always | | | | fibers. One was a plain silk thread and the |
| available, without getting on the user's | | | | other was a silk thread wrapped in thin |
| nerves. Clothes are part of our everyday | | | | copper foil. This metallic yarn is prepared |
| life. For this reason they are extremely well | | | | just like cloth-core telephone wire, and is |
| suited for the integration of such | | | | highly conductive. The silk fiber core has a |
| assistants.Electronics and textiles - two | | | | high tensile strength and can withstand high |
| worlds, which bring together. The application | | | | temperatures, allowing the yarn to be sewn or |
| scope for Wearable Electronics, the | | | | embroidered with industrial machinery. The |
| integration of electronics in clothing is | | | | spacing between these fibers also permits |
| various. Wearable electronics can now combine | | | | them to be individually addressed, so a strip |
| seamlessly into ordinary clothing. Using | | | | of this fabric can function like a ribbon |
| various conductive textiles, data and power | | | | cable.There are also conductive yarns |
| distribution as well as sensing circuitry can | | | | manufactured specifically for producing |
| be merge directly into wash-and-wear | | | | fibers for the processing of fine powders. |
| clothing.One might think that technology | | | | These yarns have conductive and cloth fibers |
| itself would drive this new wearable | | | | interspersed throughout. Varying the ratio of |
| electronics industry, but that s a false | | | | the two constituent fibers leads to |
| perspective. The pull is from the fashion | | | | differences in resistivity. These fibers can |
| industry. Strong fashion brands need to | | | | be sewn to create conductive traces and |
| continually innovate to remain fresh. In the | | | | resistive elements.While some components such |
| past, they have used new high-performance | | | | as resistors, capacitors, and coils can be |
| textiles, but now wearable electronics is | | | | sewn out of fabric, there is still a need to |
| seen as a whole new avenue for | | | | attach other components to the fabric. |
| differentiation.While wearable electronics | | | | Soldering directly onto the metallic yarn can |
| are empowering fashion accessories, clothes | | | | do this. Surface mount LEDs, crystals, piezo |
| are still the heart of fashion, and as | | | | transducers, and other surface mount |
| humans, we prefer to wear woven cloth against | | | | components with pads spaced more than 0.100 |
| our bodies. The tactile and material | | | | inch apart are easy to solder into the |
| properties of what people wear are important | | | | fabric. Once components are attached, their |
| to them, and people are reluctant to have | | | | connections to the metallic yarn may need to |
| wires and hard plastic cases against their | | | | be mechanically strengthened. This can be |
| bodies. However people were also enthusiastic | | | | achieved with an acrylic or other exible |
| about the concept that existing electronic | | | | coating. Components with ordinary leads can |
| products could be broken up into separate yet | | | | be sewn directly into circuits on fabric, and |
| interconnected modules and distributed over | | | | specially shaped feet could be developed to |
| clothing, and that several applications could | | | | facilitate this process.Gripper snaps make |
| share a single resource such as the | | | | excellent connectors between the fabric and |
| headphone, keyboard and display. It also | | | | electronics. Since the snap pierces the yarn |
| demonstrated the possibility of controls made | | | | it creates a surprisingly robust electrical |
| out of soft materials, such as a volume | | | | contact. It also provides a good surface to |
| control operated by pulling a cord. Despite | | | | solder to. In this way subsystems can be |
| this, however, some found the business | | | | easily snapped into clothing or removed for |
| relevance of the activity more difficult to | | | | washing.GuidelinesPrimary Guidelines. |
| appreciate. In parallel with the conceptual | | | | Placement (where on the body it should go) |
| work, research began on understanding and | | | | |
| generating the enabling technologies that | | | | . Form Language (defining the shape) |
| would bring the wearable electronics vision | | | | |
| to life. Key elements for this were smart | | | | . Human Movement (consider the dynamic |
| textiles, wear and care issues, and the | | | | structure) |
| Personal-Area Network (PAN).Smart | | | | |
| TextilesSmart Textiles are the foundation for | | | | . Proxemics (human perception of space) |
| a new fashion philosophy for the 21st | | | | |
| Century. Developed textiles for industrial, | | | | . Sizing (for body size diversity) |
| technical, medical or military purposes hold | | | | |
| the key to the door leading to the future | | | | . Attachment (fixing forms to the |
| fashion. Bio-textiles or e-textiles uncover | | | | body)Secondary Guidelines. Containment |
| an enormous potential for the market of the | | | | (considering what s inside the form) |
| "second skin". In the centre of all these | | | | |
| possibilities are new materials, coatings and | | | | . Weight (as its spread across the human |
| equipment.Textiles that are electrically | | | | body) |
| conductive but also soft and warm to touch | | | | |
| now exist. As a result, one can relatively | | | | . Accessibility (physical access to the |
| easily move audio, data and power around a | | | | forms) |
| garment. Conductive fibers can be integrated | | | | |
| into knitwear and woven materials, and | | | | . Sensory Interaction (for passive or active |
| conductive inks allow electrically active | | | | input) |
| patterns to be printed directly onto fabrics. | | | | |
| One area in which active success is achieved | | | | . Thermal (issues of heat next to the body) |
| is in generating new types of sensors based | | | | |
| on fabric. The ability to produce material | | | | . Aesthetics (perceptual appropriateness) |
| with a conductivity that changes in a | | | | |
| predictable way as it is stretched or jackets | | | | . Long- term Use (effects on the body and |
| that can sense the arm movements of the | | | | mind)Developments in the field of Wearable |
| wearer. This could be used to monitor and | | | | ElectronicsInnovation is a key factor to |
| assist people when playing sports: to analyze | | | | operating successfully in any market. Within |
| a forehand tennis stroke and, through | | | | the textile industry, the challenge for |
| feedback, help one improve it as well. It | | | | companies today lies in bringing to market a |
| could also be used to infer from limb and | | | | stream of new and improved, value-added |
| body movements what a person is doing: | | | | products, in order to strengthen existing |
| gesturing during an animated conversation, | | | | product lines, and diversify into new areas. |
| driving or eating. This information would | | | | Technology represents one critical route in |
| allow other devices to operate in a more | | | | doing so.Recent advances in high added-value |
| natural way.Wear and CareWe often think of | | | | textiles which incorporate electronics, smart |
| our mobile devices as being quite robust, | | | | systems, are responsive or highly-functional; |
| still capable of working when used in the | | | | create opportunities to deliver new markets |
| rain. However, normal weather conditions are | | | | and improvements, to the textile industry. |
| rather benign compared to the hostile | | | | These developments are achievable via |
| environment encountered inside a washing | | | | advances in science and technology, and |
| machine. Even though in the early stages of | | | | collaborations between people from a variety |
| wearable electronics it was observed that | | | | of backgrounds and disciplines.This bracelet |
| valuable components such as a mobile phone | | | | was developed to investigate the introduction |
| will be unplugged, a substantial part of the | | | | of wearable computing applications in |
| integrated wiring, peripherals and connectors | | | | financial transactions, and in particular for |
| was made to be able to withstand washing or | | | | use with ATM machines. The bracelet is able |
| other forms of garment care. Considerable | | | | to store, share and collect information. At |
| progress has recently been made as tests are | | | | the same time it can be worn as a fashion |
| being carried out on the various | | | | accessory. The bracelet enables users to |
| constructions in washing machines.Wearable | | | | customize the information they want to carry |
| Electronics & PANThough in its early stages, | | | | with them at any given time. Using this one |
| wearable electronics are gaining attention | | | | can connect to a home computer for viewing or |
| from garment and electronics manufacturers. | | | | storing information and for accessing the |
| What started decades ago with the | | | | internet, connect to a prototype ATM machine, |
| pocket-sized transistor radio - probably the | | | | instead of an ATM card, connect to point of |
| first popular portable electronic device - | | | | sale stations and function as a key to |
| have evolved into fabrics that conduct | | | | different access points (the house, work |
| electricity and can link audio-video | | | | environment, gym pass)An outfit that |
| equipment and pocket computers? Wearable | | | | communicates, via wristbands, to the solar |
| electronics are no longer limited to comic | | | | panels in a surfer s body suit to adjust the |
| books and geek fantasies: they are serious | | | | suit s temperature. New combinations of |
| business. But Nike's integration of digital | | | | fiber, fabric and micro-circuitry are also |
| equipment like MP3 players into sports | | | | turning up in prototypes for competitive |
| clothes, and the wristwatch phones created by | | | | sports, combat wear and extreme sports. For |
| Motorola and Swatch, is mere toys compared to | | | | example, future skiers will have GPS |
| what's coming.Wearable electronics work by | | | | navigation, electronic ski passes and radio |
| mixing conductive textiles, fabric switches, | | | | communications built into their clothing. |
| fabric wiring, fabric stretch sensors, | | | | Integrated fabric sensors are being |
| high-sensitivity fabric antennas and flexible | | | | manipulated to display and monitor everything |
| electro-luminescent displays to create a | | | | from body temperature to pulse and blood |
| "personal area network", or PAN: an | | | | stats. Trends suggest that soft fabric |
| electronic network woven into the jacket | | | | sensors could eventually cover the entire |
| connects various devices just as local area | | | | body and monitor an athlete s form, motion, |
| networks (LANs) connect computers. The | | | | and health.The military and medical fields |
| hardware devices are clipped on or inserted | | | | are also creating wearable electronics. The |
| where appropriate, and the PAN allows | | | | Department of Defense is experimenting with |
| transport of data, power and control signals | | | | exoskeletons (or battlefield armor) that are |
| within a garment. Several devices can be | | | | smart, strong, and lethal to help soldiers |
| clipped to a PAN, and a central controller | | | | communicate effectively, move quickly, lift |
| with a small display alerts the wearer to | | | | large weaponry and leap to non-human heights |
| incoming phone calls, e-mails - or just the | | | | and distances. This human performance |
| title of the next song on the MP3 player. Of | | | | augmentation promises to take war to |
| course the garment - minus the hardware - has | | | | superhero-like levels. A byproduct of this |
| to survive the washing machine and | | | | combat technology is the Smart Shirt, the |
| dryer.Smart military camouflageThe military | | | | world s first wearable motherboard that |
| camouflage outfit is replete with pathogen | | | | incorporates two-way sensing, monitoring and |
| detectors; a high-density, low-temperature | | | | information processing technology into the |
| micro fuel cell that acts as a lightweight, | | | | fabric. It has all sorts of application in |
| long-life power source; and a flexible | | | | medicine for monitoring and communicating |
| electroluminescent display. It was designed | | | | patient health.ConclusionUser tests in |
| to show the functionality of embedded | | | | different parts of the world have indicated |
| electronics and sensors.The sensor technology | | | | that this fashion/technology mix could be a |
| includes pathogen detectors that are more | | | | highly desirable combination. In the future, |
| reliable and more sensitive. For example the | | | | clothes will be an important part of the user |
| detectors on the military outfit could take | | | | s personal electronic network. This |
| bacteria, destroy it, then amplify the | | | | technology will allow the network to hear |
| bacteria's DNA and look for certain | | | | what the user hears and to see what the user |
| characteristics of specific pathogens, like | | | | sees. It will be a companion for long periods |
| anthrax or small pox. Future versions could | | | | of time, natural in its interactions and |
| incorporate sensors to monitor a soldier's | | | | proactive in its support. The interface will |
| vital signs and fatigue.The outfit also | | | | move from a personal one to an intimate |
| includes a flexible electroluminescent | | | | one.To read more articles on Textile, |
| display that can be worn around the wrist to | | | | Fashion, Apparel, Technology, Retail and |
| provide soldiers with instant awareness | | | | General please visit If you wish to download |
| communications and updated commands, or | | | | republish the above article to your website |
| environmental information about exposure to | | | | or newsletters then please include the |
| any biological or chemical agents. A third | | | | "Article Source". Also, you have to make it |
| technology demonstrated in the outfit is an | | | | hyperlinked to our site.Copyright © |
| advanced micro fuel cell. The micro fuel cell | | | | 2006Fibre2fashion has emerged as a |
| would power an individual soldier's equipment | | | | distinctive B2B platform for global Textile, |
| for possibly up to a few weeks. It would be | | | | Apparel, Fashion and Retail and allied |
| smaller and lighter weight than the | | | | industries. offers business solutions, news, |
| conventional batteries that generate | | | | articles and information that help to survive |
| equivalent powerTypes of Materials UsedFor | | | | and sustain in the most hostile and |
| years the textile industry has been weaving | | | | competitive business environment. |