Textile

To develop a heat-trapping fabric, researchers looked to polar bears, who thrive in incredibly low temperatures. The secret, they found, has to do with a relationship between the bears' hollow translucent hair and the black skin that lies beneath.

While there are already garments which cool or warm their wearer via circulating liquids, those garments tend to be equipped with cumbersome, noisy pumps. An experimental new system, on the other hand, uses interwoven tubular fibers as pumps.

Scientists have announced an interesting new means of removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue gas emissions, which would create a usable substance. It's a sheet of treated cotton, which converts CO2 gas into bicarbonate.

Instead of using insecticides, farmers will sometimes cover their plants with a mesh fabric. A new such material has now been developed, which keeps out a wider range of bugs while still allowing crops to get enough sunlight and water.

Smart textiles are usually fairly limited in size and scope. Now a team of scientists has woven together a 46-inch textile display, loaded with LEDs, sensors and energy storage, which can be made using existing industrial manufacturing processes.

Red wine and chocolate are notorious for staining clothes, thanks to the tannic acid that they contain. Scientists at the University of Tokyo have now used that acid in a textile coating which keeps clothes from stinking, and that doesn't wash out.

It's no secret that finding a comfortably fitting bra can be difficult, often requiring multiple attempts. That's where the Braave system comes in, as it uses 3D printing and scanning technology to produce client-specific custom-fit "Fusion Bras."

Although we've heard about "smart" fabrics which could be used in clothing that displays data, it's unlikely that most garments will ever be made of such materials. The PocketView system, however, shines its display through existing "dumb" textiles.

While we may think of blue jeans as kind of earthy, basic clothing, the process by which they're dyed is definitely not eco-friendly. That may soon no longer be the case, however, thanks to the development of a new coloration technique.

MIT scientist Yoel Fink has been at the cutting edge of smart textile technology for more than a decade and has just made a significant breakthrough, demonstrating the first ever digital fabric-fiber that can store and process information.

Clothing might one day do more than keep us warm, and scientists have offered a compelling new example of what might be possible by developing a new thread made of conductive cellulose, which can be worked into textiles that generate electricity.

Imagine if your tablecloth could alert you to the whereabouts of misplaced items, or track your diet? Those things and more may soon be possible, thanks to a new "smart" fabric being developed at New Hampshire's Dartmouth College.