Smart Clothing: Technology and Applications

GPS-embedded clothing for finding children or skiers when they are lost, bio-monitoring smart shirts, and vests that monitor a patient's vital signs are no longer science fiction but science fact. It is quite likely that within 20 or 30 years, computers, telephones, and televisions will be a part of our intimate clothing. Covering the whole design cycle of smart clothes, Smart Clothing: Technology and Applications examines applications for the general public and highlights the important human factors aspects that make products not only usable but marketable. The book discusses the state of the art in smart clothing technology and applications. The chapters address usability and human aspects relevant to the manufacture and sale of such products and detail the evolving and increasingly wide-ranging applications in fields such as information technology, healthcare, and entertainment. They also cover technology topics including interface, communication, energy supply, data management, processors, and actuators. Discussions of packaging and interconnection, shape memory alloy, and design and modeling of electronic textile applications round out the coverage. With technology news blaring headlines such as Smart Clothing Coming Soon to Your Galaxy and Futuristic Fashions Will Fight Our Health Scares, can clothing that communicates with your washer and dryer be far behind? It is not enough to understand the technology, you must also grasp the human factor aspects. Identifying the challenges and potential benefits of smart clothing from both perspectives, this book provides integrated coverage that establishes the need for methods significantly different from traditional ones. Its up-to-date coverage allows you to visualize trends and provides a glimpse into the future.