Whether it's FitBit tracking your steps or an Android Wear watch that alerts you to new email, wearable tech, which has become known as "wearables" are becoming increasingly common additions to out daily dressing routines. So it makes sense, then, that the next ste for tech developers would be to embed their devices directly within clothing – like those who have come together to make smart shirts and bras that will help athletes effectively track critical health data.
How do they do it?
"The technology is based on the use of conductive yarns – most commonly made with silver – which are woven into fabrics to act as sensors that detect electrical signals, acting as electrocardiograms (ECGs) and electromyograms (EMGs) to measure heart rate and muscle activity respectively," reports CNN. The designers will either weave the conductive yarns throughout a clothing items or more sparingly, inside specific data-sensitive spots. Gathered data is then sent to a detector of some kind (most likely a smart phone) for potential analysis.
Medical experts believe wearables could revolutionize medicine. For instance – says Smartlife CEO Andy Baker – "We could put t-shirts on 20 people in a ward and a clinician can walk in with an ipad and see all 20 heart rates."
There are also some developers who are adapting wearable technology for astronauts, so that Houston can track the health states of their pilots, just like many science fiction films have explored. The European Space Agency wants to start using wearable health trackers by 2017.
Wearable shirts like this have a lot of potential for medicine and for space exploration. But what about the everyday person? How will it impact them? Some clothing companies, including SmartLife and CircuiteX, are working with major clothing brands to create versions of their products with built-in body sensors that will be available for purchase in the near future. No doubt, these products will be expensive at first, but as health-tracking becomes more common due to people discovering the value of health monitoring, it's likely smart clothing costs will drop.
