Monday, January 23, 2012

Message Board Topic: Smart Fabric

E-textiles, also known as electronic textiles or smart textiles, are fabrics that enable computing, digital components, and electronics to be embedded in them. Some are meant as fads (like incorporating LED lights in a sweater) where others are revolutionizing how we view "fabric." Some can control the temperature of the clothing, some are water resistant, and some are called "whereable computers."

Here are two sites which explore this idea:



http://www.futurity.org/top-stories/smart-fabrics-transistors-from-cotton/

http://www.ccm.ece.vt.edu/etextiles/

What are the implications of this technology? What could we use an e-fabric or e-textile for? What do you predict "they" will be able to do with this tech? How about in the fashion industry or other arts - where might we see this used?

17 comments:

  1. I don't really understand the point in making light up fabrics....like, I guess they could be considered "artistic" and stuff, but I don't get where you'd use them or what you'd use them for.

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  2. i just think this will change the way fashion designers create their outfits. its a new technology which never is extreemly bad, just new and different.

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  4. I think that we could use this in the future, I think it would be very useful.

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  5. Fashion industries will use this when trying to create new ideas for clothing and what will be popular.

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  6. i can agree with this just i wouldnt go to such and extreame to have a computer in my sweater so lets see wherre this tech goes

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  7. I think 50 years from now a bunch of people will have all sorts of cancers and stuff from wearing the clothing but as for style its pretty legit

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  8. i think that its just more ways for people to express themselves. i mean the more fashion there is in the world the more we use it to show our true selfs! i think that its an ok idea but i just dont know if it will be good in the future!

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  9. I think that this is a super cool thing that people come up with. It reminds me of a transformers shirt I saw that lights up.

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  10. LED jackets could come in handy for night time joggers. However the idea of puttung electronics into clothing when we come into contact with rain and snow regularly seems kind of dangerous. Honestly, other than entertainment value, I don't see a practical use for it.

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  11. E-fabrics ccould be used to make cloths better. Better as in longer lasting cloths, cold resistant cloths , ect. This technology will advcance.

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  12. Its hard to say now what we can use this technology for, but I am looking forward to the designs they will make.

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  13. I guess it would be cool at first to make a bold statement but after a few months or even a few years, whats the point??? i mean i also think it would be cool at parties but other than that what else would you use it for?!?!

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  14. I think they could be used to make clothes warmer and long lasting but making clothes light up isnt really as important as making them better for use.

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  15. i think the e-fabrics would kind of industrialize style. they're cool, but i just don't really see a point in combining them. i think clothes should just stay clothes and electronics as electronics. but it would be interesting.

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  16. This could be cool for a while. But what could we use it for really?

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  17. there cool but off the top of my head i cant really think of anything useful they could be used for :/

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