Purdue Engineers Developed Energy-Harvesting Smart Clothes
Elena Rahman — June 30, 2021 — Tech
References: engineering.purdue.edu & core77
Purdue engineers from Purdue University have developed two novel treatments to turn textiles into smart clothes. The E-textiles are said to have energy-harvesting abilities that are also waterproof and can be washed with soap and water. Researchers anticipate that this innovation will help accelerate the development of wearable technology.
To develop an E-textile for smart clothes, the Purdue team first sewed a silk-based flexible coil into conventional clothing. Then, the clothes were sprayed with a hydrophobic coating. Both technologies work together to create smart clothes. The clothing is flexible, washable, batter-free, and works underwater. Assistant professor Ramses Martinez envisions that "smart clothes will be able to transmit information about the posture and motion of the wearer to mobile apps, allowing machines to understand human intent without the need of other interfaces."
Image Credit: Core 77
To develop an E-textile for smart clothes, the Purdue team first sewed a silk-based flexible coil into conventional clothing. Then, the clothes were sprayed with a hydrophobic coating. Both technologies work together to create smart clothes. The clothing is flexible, washable, batter-free, and works underwater. Assistant professor Ramses Martinez envisions that "smart clothes will be able to transmit information about the posture and motion of the wearer to mobile apps, allowing machines to understand human intent without the need of other interfaces."
Image Credit: Core 77
Trend Themes
1. Smart Textiles - The development of energy-harvesting smart clothes opens up new opportunities for the smart textile industry.
2. Wearable Technology - The application of the Purdue engineers' innovations to develop waterproof and washable wearable technology is a clear opportunity to disrupt the wearables market.
3. Energy Harvesting Clothing - The development of energy-harvesting smart clothes has the potential to transform the clothing industry, specifically the production of functional outdoor clothing.
Industry Implications
1. Textile Manufacturing - The application of energy-harvesting technology to textiles represents a great opportunity for the textile manufacturing industry to develop new functional and practical fabrics and garments.
2. Consumer Electronics - The development of washable and waterproof wearable technology creates opportunities for the consumer electronics industry to integrate wearables seamlessly into consumers' lives.
3. Outdoor Clothing - The development of energy-harvesting clothing has the potential to transform the outdoor clothing industry by creating self-sufficient clothing that generates power from the environment.
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