Ipod Integrated Clothing Revolution
12.18.06 - 02:07pm
When iPods first came out all sorts of ipod accessories were born with everything from ipod cases to clothing with iPod integration. Companies are now taking that integration to a whole new level.
“Smart Clothing” as it is being called does more than just have a great pocket to store your iPod in and a way to hide the wires. “Smart clothing” will actually allow you to control your iPod by touching your shirt and these smart textiles are being created to do a lot more than just shuffle for your favorite song. They are also being created to save lives and are expanding the field of clothing into a whole new dimension.
The “smart” textiles are made with fabrics conductive to electricty, or that have plastic optical fibers and other specialty fibers woven into the fabric. These optical and electrical conductive fibers will allow the shirt to wirelessly communicate with other devices, transferring data from the sensors embedded in the shirt. They can respond to touch, measure vital signs and then carry electronic signals to a user or interface.
Fibretronic Ltd, has created the Sonic Control Glove and Levi Redwire Jeans with iPod integration. Softswitch Ltd. has BlueTooth Audio Streaming. The Eleksen Group has the Zenga ijacket and has also designed fabrics with flexible fabric keyboards integrated in them - not music playing keyboards - but keyboards for your computer. Eleksen works with Microsoft.
The clothing is not just being designed for popular tech-toys. It is also being designed to save lives. Shirts are being created to measure blood pressure and monitor heart beats, then transmit the data to a third party. Philip Design, has already created such a fabric and will use it as part of MyHeart - a European funded project for heart disease. This application could also be used to monitor the elderly and even for military applications.
One shirt for fun is the Hug Shirt from CuteCircuit. The Hug shirt measures the heartbeat, pressure and tempurature of an administered “hug”. Your mobile phone then transmits the data, via BlueTooth to another shirt which replicates the hug. One can literally send their friends or sweethearts virtual hugs. The shirt is on the New York Times list of best inventions 2006. Details have not been released on when it will be available for sale, although it is supposed to be some time in 2007.
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