Smart Fabric

​Squids, octopi and cuttlefish are able to change the color of their skin thanks to specialized cells known as chromatophores. Scientists have now replicated the manner in which those cells work, resulting in a flexible material that can either trap or release heat as needed.

​People with insomnia sometimes undergo sleep studies, in which they slumber in a clinic while wired to various sensors – perhaps not the best way to replicate their typical sleeping environment. Soon, however, they may simply be able to wear electronic pyjamas, which are currently in development.

Researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) have developed a new material that senses how warm a person’s body is and automatically adjusts how much heat it traps or releases.

Imagine if there were comfortable and inexpensive wearable fabrics that were capable of detecting a wide range of pressure and motion. Well, scientists at the University of Delaware have created just such a technology, and it could have some interesting applications.

​Weaving electronic smarts into clothing has the potential to heat headgear, monitor health and keep you connected. But smart fabrics are not just useful for wearables. To demonstrate this, Madison Maxey has created a tablecloth-sized textile trackpad to replace a computer mouse or, well, trackpad.​

Where most "smart clothes" generally function like wearable fitness trackers, researchers in Canada have focused instead on creating a smart T-shirt with the potential to help diagnose respiratory illnesses or monitor such conditions in real-time.

If they don't mind looking a bit like a Mortal Kombat character, a new electric balaclava featuring a built-in heating area around the nose and mouth would let athletes keep training like a champ in the cold while lowering the risk of contracting chest infections.

If researchers at RMIT have their way, the amount of time we spend measuring capfuls of liquid, scraping out the lint filter and refolding our duds may soon be slashed thanks to a new coating that cleans fabrics whenever they're exposed to light.

This year's Google I/O gave us Android M and updated Google Cardboard, along with free and unlimited photo storage. But it wouldn't be Google if there weren't also some moonshots in there. We go hands-on with one of them, Project Jacquard.

A collaborative team of researchers has successfully transferred monolayer graphene to fibers commonly used in the textile industry. The transparent, flexible material could one day be used to create embedded wearable electronics, such as phones, fitness trackers or MP3 players.

Almost one in five women avoid exercise because of breast-related problems such as pain, breast bounce and not being able to find the right sports bra. The Bionic Bra, which quickly adjusts to breast movement, providing more - or less - support as required, should provide welcome relief.

Hexoskin has announced a new version of its crowdfunded smart fitness vest. The Arctic smart shirt doesn’t make any changes to the already solid fitness tracking specs, but offers a new design and custom material designed to keep the user warm in more extreme environments.