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Smart Fabrics
By Avishay Artsy on Wednesday, May 7, 2008.
The fourth annual Smart Fabrics conference wraps up today, bringing together developers, designers and manufacturers of interactive textiles.
What is that exactly? Hooded sweatshirts with speakers integrated into the hood. High-tech Italian handbags with solar panels woven into the side. Jeans with a keyboard sewn into the fabric. There's also Bellysonic - the iPod for unborn babies, to share music in the womb. And so on.
Perhaps the most interesting development are the newest generation of computerized adjustable shoes. An on-shoe computer monitors physical activity in real time, adjusting the cushion comfort with two balloons in the shoe sole that inflate or deflate depending on the activity of the wearer.
It's a burgeoning industry, one that's balancing technological innovation with fashion aesthetics and design trends. Consumers may be hesitant now to embrace multi-functional clothing, but e-textile enthusiasts believe their time has come.
(Thanks to Word of Mouth listener Dan in Chandler, Ariz. for the tip. If you've read something you want others to know about, suggest it here.)
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