Future technology won’t be a device you carry in your pocket, a computer you put in your bag, or a watch you wear on your wrist. Instead, it will be woven into the threads of your shirt and pants.<\/p>\n
Researchers all over the world are developing \u201csmart\u201d fabrics or textiles that can charge electronics, cool down the body, monitor health, detect human motion, light up like flashlights and more.<\/p>\n
While most of this technology is still in the lab and won\u2019t be seen in stores for years, there is no doubt that the new wave of technology will be lightweight and flexible, and it will rest on your back and legs.<\/p>\n
Here are some examples of what the future has in store for us.<\/p>\n
Researchers at MIT have developed a way<\/a> to weave diodes, a building block of modern electronics, into washable, durable fabrics.<\/p>\n This method serves as a huge stepping stone for making \u201csmart\u201d fabrics wearable and marketable.<\/p>\n \u201cPrevious wearable technologies are usually used as add-ons to existing devices, fibers or garments,\u201d said Michael Rein<\/a>, a former MIT graduate student and lead author on the paper.<\/p>\n \u201cOur approach integrates the devices directly to the fibers, allowing us to make the textiles themselves functional,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe basically have a seamless integration of electronic devices in fibers, which are then integrated into textiles by conventional textile production techniques such as weaving.\u201d<\/p>\n This development will expand the capabilities of \u201csmart\u201d fabrics and allow them to be as comfortable and flexible as normal clothing.<\/p>\n The end goal is to make a full textile-based system that could work like cell phones and computers.<\/p>\n