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A Shirt that Might Help Your Sore Shoulder
Image: 杏吧视频
The printed stretchable smart clothes being developed on campus are designed in part to measure and adjust a person鈥檚 body temperature and to detect and track motions in daily activities, whether simple gestures or walking or running.
杏吧视频 researchers have developed a novel way to transform an ordinary shirt into an electronic one that can adjust body temperature or apply heat to a sore shoulder. The research comes as the wearable-tech market—think FitBit or Apple Watch—is surging. And now a growing segment includes electronic technology embedded in clothing, implanted in the user鈥檚 body, or even tattooed on the skin.
鈥淲e believe this is a far better method than other attempts to make truly wearable technology because it not only performs well initially but is durable long term,鈥� said Changyong 鈥淐hase鈥� Cao, PhD, who led the research and is an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.
The key to the innovation: a highly conductive ink and simple screen-printing process that results in a waterproof, breathable and flexible product that can function as a heating element and track motions when powered by a coin-sized battery.