Researchers at VTT Technical Research Centre have found a way to integrate air conditioning technology with clothing in what could prove to be a glimpse at an important wearable technology of the future. The technology they now call smart fabric can adjust clothing temperature using a smartphone app.
The Finland-based company demonstrated the technique of the built-in personal air conditioning system through a process that adds a plastic film to jackets and other clothes, reported the Daily Mail. The film contains microchannels, which are filled with liquid used to cool or warm the fabric.
The concept is analogous to the cardiovascular system in the sense that it uses the minuscule microfluidic channels to pump heating or cooling liquids, Ralph Liedert, account manager for Wearable Technology and Printed Diagnostics at VTT, said in a press statement.
VTT is now looking for partners, particularly sporting goods manufacturers. The Finnish company touts their method as distinct and feasible because, unlike similar or related technologies, the system has low production cost and could be manufactured in volumes through traditional method. A related technology includes the "Warm Series" sole thermal system that can warm or cool the wearer's feet also using a smartphone app.
The VTT technology is also expected to be the basis of another wearable system, which is a portable air freshener that can release controlled amounts of perfume, potentially using an app or pre-programmed algorithm.
