Australian scientists are developing clothes of the future that will act as exoskeletons to enhance strength and others that can recharge your MP3 player or mobile phone.
For instance, electronics could get recharged in the future simply by plugging them into your outerwear, because Australian researchers are designing clothing that can harvest energy from a person. The garments would incorporate devices to convert vibration energy from a person's movements into electricity. Advanced conductive fabrics would carry this energy to flexible batteries.
"It will look like an ordinary garment but have extraordinary capabilities," said Adam Best, principal research scientist with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization's energy technology division. "This kind of technology has important applications for soldiers in the field and could mean they no longer need to carry heavy batteries. Essentially, they'd be wearing the battery, not carrying it."
Advanced materials could also help serve as armor. For instance, future yarns made with carbon nanofibers could yield bulletproof uniforms stronger than Kevlar,complex compounds could lead to soft helmets that turn hard in a crash, and robotic exoskeletons could help soldiers shoulder heavy packs and help people walk.
These garments could also have civilian applications, such as powering radios, mobile phones, MP3 players or medical devices such as vital-sign monitoring systems. Solar-powered handbags could accomplish the same thing for women. Not all the potential fabrics of tomorrow are high-tech. For instance, chicken feathers, rice straw and other castoffs of the farming industry could get transformed into fabrics resembling wool, linen or cotton, helping reduce the use of petroleum-based synthetic fabrics such as polyester.
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Friday, January 11, 2008
Extra-unique Clothes
The clothes in the future are extra-unique. By using the latest technology that the fourth milennia has produced, scientists have created a fabric that are now the clothes that everyone wants. These clothes can glow in the dark, without any batteries or wires, and will change color in the dark. The clothes are bulletproof, making them ideal for our military forces and police. There is even a special kind made just for the leaders of the country, which has a special alarm built in for emergencies. The clothes are camouflageable, blending in perfectly with the surroundings. No, they are not invisibility cloaks, but they're the next best thing. They are stain proof and waterproof, which means that you could have a lovely time swimming in them. But best of all, there is a special system which involves a collapsible jet pack. All you have to do is program the tiny microchip in the jet pack to respond to your voice.
Clothes Of The Future
Clothes made of feathers and straw
What's the new polyester? Feathers.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska are trying to create fabrics made from chicken feathers and rice straw to replace the petroleum-based artificial fabrics in bike jerseys, jackets, carpets and other garments or items. The chicken feather fabric will feel more like wool, while the straw fabric will resemble cotton, so you won't resemble a scarecrow or a homecoming float mascot.
Success, of course, could turn the fabric industry upside down. The cost of fabrics could decline because the base product would be waste product. Oil exports could drop a bit, and farmers would get another income stream.
Research is still in the experimental stage. The properties of the fiber indicate it could be used to spin fabric. Chicken feathers are mostly composed of keratin, the same type of protein found in wool.
"We hope that the research reported here will stimulate interest in using agricultural byproducts as textile fibers, which would add value to agricultural crops and also make the fiber industry more sustainable," said Yiqi Yang, Ph.D., a University of Nebraska professor of textile science, in a prepared statement. Yang's paper was released at the annual conference of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco this week.
Posted by Michael Kanellos
What's the new polyester? Feathers.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska are trying to create fabrics made from chicken feathers and rice straw to replace the petroleum-based artificial fabrics in bike jerseys, jackets, carpets and other garments or items. The chicken feather fabric will feel more like wool, while the straw fabric will resemble cotton, so you won't resemble a scarecrow or a homecoming float mascot.
Success, of course, could turn the fabric industry upside down. The cost of fabrics could decline because the base product would be waste product. Oil exports could drop a bit, and farmers would get another income stream.
Research is still in the experimental stage. The properties of the fiber indicate it could be used to spin fabric. Chicken feathers are mostly composed of keratin, the same type of protein found in wool.
"We hope that the research reported here will stimulate interest in using agricultural byproducts as textile fibers, which would add value to agricultural crops and also make the fiber industry more sustainable," said Yiqi Yang, Ph.D., a University of Nebraska professor of textile science, in a prepared statement. Yang's paper was released at the annual conference of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco this week.
Posted by Michael Kanellos
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