Collaborate Disseminate
When it comes to keeping cool on hot days, it’s not so much a matter of wearing less clothing as it is a matter of wearing the right clothing. A new fabric coating could help in that regard, and it’s essentially made of chalk.Continue ReadingCategory: … Continue reading Cooler clothing may sport a snazzy matte white chalk coating
Soft materials and stiff materials both have their uses, but the two properties typically aren’t seen in one substance. RoboFabric is an exception, then, in that it can be switched back and forth between soft and stiff states.Continue ReadingCategory: … Continue reading Clever armadillo-inspired “fabric” gets stiff or soft as needed
There may be new hope for people with noisy neighbors. Scientists at MIT have developed a method of using thin sheets of fabric to either cancel or block sound – in the latter case, the racket even gets reflected back to its maker.Continue ReadingCateg… Continue reading Special silk sheets suppress sound by giving off good vibrations
Custom-fit clothing is usually quite expensive, but perhaps it doesn’t have to be. MIT’s 4D Knit Dress is an example of a new type of clothing that a robot could selectively shrink to fit the wearer, perhaps right in the store.Continue ReadingCategory:… Continue reading Video: Heat-gun-toting robot could create bespoke clothing on the cheap
While there are already clothing materials that help keep wearers cool simply by allowing heat to escape, an experimental new fabric coating goes a step further. Utilizing a whole bunch of nanodiamonds, it actually draws heat away from the body.Continu… Continue reading Diamond-coated clothing could keep wearers cooler
Electrically conductive “smart fabrics” have many potential applications, but their specialized fibers typically aren’t as soft and flexible as those made of regular materials. An experimental new two-faced fiber, however, is both flexible and conducti… Continue reading Smart textile fiber places conductivity and flexibility side-by-side
Researchers have created a low-cost fiber that contracts in response to heat, resuming its shape when the heat is removed. Compatible with existing textile-producing machinery and not reliant on sensors or other hardware, the shape-shifting fiber could… Continue reading Shape-shifting fiber responds to heat, could produce morphing fabrics
Haptic feedback systems, in which users receive tactile signals on their body, definitely show a lot of promise … but they can be electronically complex. An experimental new setup makes things simpler, by incorporating pneumatic pouches into wearable s… Continue reading Puffed-up pouches could bring haptic feedback tech to our clothing
While it’s often important for doctors to monitor a patient’s physical activity throughout the day, placing cameras in that person’s home is a pretty obtrusive way of doing so. Scientists have now developed an alternative, in the form of activity-track… Continue reading Smart Pants use fiber optics to discreetly track wearers’ activity
Smart textiles and patches are coming in thick and fast, from wound-monitoring and healing bandages, to heartrate-measuring thread woven into fabric. The latest in this burgeoning field of medical therapies is one that impressively keeps an eye on your… Continue reading Self-powering patch can monitor muscle moves and it costs less than $3