Apparel Online India Magazine November 1st Issue 2018 | Page 11

WORLD WRAP
into garments and when powered
creates comfortable warmth. The
technology can further enable
biometric monitoring in smart clothing
as well such as monitoring pulse rate,
respiratory rate, muscle activity and
forming awareness. fabric and Hexoskin provide smart
fabrics to different hospitals, nursing
homes and assisted living. Hexoskin
fabrics are embedded with cardiac,
movement and breathing sensors for
tracking the patient’s data as per the
health segment. 
“Our team has worked hard to develop
a heater that feels like fabric, doesn’t
rely on cables, thick wires or big
batteries, and can stand up to very
cold environment. From outdoor
enthusiasts to industrial workers,
Intexar™ Heat can help conquer the
elements in comfort, increasing focus
and improving performance,”said
Michael Burrows, Global Business
Manager, DuPont Advanced Materials. Pireta creates smart fabrics which
are customised as per the selection of
garments for continuous physiological
monitoring and emergency care.
Various other start-ups are getting
into smart pediatric wear to monitor
the ECG and heart rate of infants, and
postures of expecting mothers.
The medical smart fabric market is
also set to experience an astonishing
growth by the end of the forecast
period of 2018-2027, according to
Market Research Future (MRFR).
Companies like Clothing+ produce
medical applications such as heart,
brain and lungs monitoring solutions
in e-textiles along with other popular
products like smart blankets. Other
fabric companies such as Camira
Other innovators in the industry are
companies like Edema ApS, which
has developed a washable stocking
that monitors and measures changes
in leg volume for patients suffering
from edema (fluid accumulation or
swelling) of the lower limbs. According
to the company, the material of
the stocking is especially designed
as a compression stocking that
instantly measures all changes of
leg expansion. The measurements
are then sent to a mobile phone that
shows the actual changes of swelling
“The medical
smart fabric
market is also set
to experience an
astonishing growth
by the end of the
forecast period
of 2018-2027,
according to
Market Research
Future (MRFR). For
instance, fabrics
are embedded
with cardiac,
movement and
breathing sensors
for tracking
the patient’s
health data.”
in the legs. This information is then
automatically sent to clinicians at
the hospital for observation. 
Paving way for a highly collaborative
industry in which more and more
technology providers will be
partnering with apparel companies
– even designers are now stepping
into the market with wearable-tech
innovations. Designer Julianna Bass
recently collaborated with New York-
based company Loomia, to develop a
colour-changing textile used in two
of her dresses in Spring/Summer
’18 collection showcased during the
New York fashion week. Loomia is
known to make flexible circuitry
that can emit heat and/or light, as
well as sense and track data. But
more than that, the company has
also created e-textiles that are
machine washable.
With so much happening in the
wearable technology, it will not be
long before mainstream retailers
also start offering garments with
more than just performance finishes.
What was in fact a mere concept only
a few years ago, is now already on
the ramps and in stores.
www.apparelresources.com | NOVEMBER 1-15, 2018 | Apparel Online India
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