Catwalk goes techno (wearable technologies)

Abstract

This paper discusses the developments and applications of wearable technologies. People in the very near future will have a whole range of small devices incorporated into their clothing or stuck to their bodies as clever sticking plasters. Much of the research into wearable electronics is focused on medical applications. An obvious extension of this idea is to use such devices to monitor performance and health of people during exercise. Beyond health and wellbeing applications, companies are also looking at incorporating lifestyle devices, such as music players and computers, into clothing. The defence industry is interested in wearable electronics to conceal communication devices in a soldier's clothing. Some of the challenges in incorporating electronics into clothing is the choice of fibre and power source. Cost is another important factor for wearable devices. Despite all the great advances in wearable electronics, there are still some issues to be resolved. Security issues have been considered extensively for mobile telecoms, but it is not yet known whether others might be able to tap into the wealth of personal information being gathered and communicated around our bodies via our clothes.