An article on Businessweek.com tells about the latest generation of smart wearable garments, specifically in relation to health-related applications.
The article begins by highlighting the research of Gauri Nanda at MIT who has worked on a bag that keep track of your belongings and remind you of practical things, such as to bring your wallet or keys before leaving your house.
Fabric-embedded electronics are no longer science fiction and the health industry in particular seem keen to develop its potential, perhaps because 'gear' is already an integral part of it.
A product that now is taking off is a "stress band", which is worn on the arm and collects data on the wearer's physical state. Until recently, the band was a research tool used to measure the stress in drivers but now, the Fitness Group Apex are promoting the band for consumers as a weight-loss monitoring tool.
Similarly, a shirt developed some years ago by VivoMetrics – which collects and analyzes its wearer's respiration flow, heart rate, and other key metrics – is already used in top medical schools and drug companies.
Original Post: http://www.guerrilla-innovation.com/archives/2005/03/000377.php
