COMPUTER CLOTHING

There is a major movement going on in the electronics and computer industries to develop wearable devices for what’s being called Post-PC era. We are now at the dawn of that era and some of these devices are already making their way to the consumer market.Computerized clothes will be the next step in making computers and devices portable without having to strap electronics into our body. These digital clothes will able to perform some of the PC functions. These devices are small in size and portable.

What is Computer Clothing?

A small portable computer that is designed to be worn on the body during use.

Wearable computer comprises of a computer built within an ordinary clothing.

These digital clothes will able to perform some of the PC functions.

Computerized clothes make computers and devices portable without having to strap electronics into our body.

Wearable computers are usually either integrated into the user's clothing or can be attached to the body through some other means, like a wristband.

They may also be integrated into everyday objects that are constantly worn on the body, like a wrist watch or a hands-free cell phone.

In this, wearable computers differ from PDAs, which are designed for hand-held use.

AIM of wearable computing

To develop new interfaces that mediate (augment, deliberately diminish, or otherwise modify) non-computer activities.

Without interfering with the user's everyday tasks.

The design of wearable computers is still a topic of research, and a variety of user interfaces are being proposed.

This transformation allows it to be worn constantly, with the goal of becoming a seamless extension of body and mind.

HOW IT WORKS

Some wearable computers use “keyers” (keyswitches mounted to a grip, rather than to a board, as with a keyboard) and trackballs as input device.

Many try to use more intuitive means of input like gesture, speech recognition or context awareness.

 The output may be presented through displays, lights, sound or even haptic interfaces.

Some mediated reality (augmented, diminished, or otherwise modified reality) systems can also be considered wearable computers.

It is equipped with various sensors which measure heart rate, respiration, footstep rate etc.

There is smart shirts that can read our heart beat and breathing, and musical jackets with built in all-fabric keypads.

Thin light-emitting diode (LED) monitors could even be integrated into this apparel to display text and images.

Wearable computer comprises of a computer built within an ordinary clothing. This transformation allows it to be worn constantly, with the goal of becoming a seamless extension of body and mind. Equipped with various sensors which measure heart rate, respiration, footstep rate etc, the apparatus can function as a personal safety device for reducing crime, as well as personal health monitor for improving health care by encouraging individuals to take an active role in diagnosis and body maintenance.This apparel can be used to read our heart rate and breathing. The LED monitors could even be integrated into this apparel to display text and images. The ‘wearable computer’ apparatus is embedded within nontransparent clothing which provides shielding. Electronic circuits are built entirely out of textiles to distribute data and power and perform touch sensing. These circuits are passive components sewn from conductive yarns as well as conventional components to create interactive electronic devices, such as musical keyboards and graphic input surfaces.

In the next few years, we might be filling our closets with smart shirts that can read our heart rate and breathing, and musical jackets with built in all-fabric keypads. Thin light-emitting diode (LED) monitors could even be integrated into this apparel to display text and images. Computerized clothes will be the next step in making computers and devices portable without having to strap electronics to our bodies or fill our pockets with a plethora of gadgets. These new digital clothes aren't necessarily designed to replace your PC, but they will be able to perform some of the same functions.

WHAT IT COMPRISES OF?
As with any garment, the weave and thread of computer clothing is extremely important. For this purpose, there is a requirement of a thread that is able to carry the electrical currents; hence the normal cotton, polyester and nylons will not work. Metallic yarns can be used; however, researchers are interested in using silk organza, commonly found and manufactured in India over the past century. Now silk organza makes for an ideal thread for computer clothing as it comprises of two fibers that make it a good conductor of electricity. While the first fiber is ordinary silk, the second fiber comprises of a thin copper foil, thus imparting the properties of a conductor to the thread. Then again, even the fibers are rightly spaced, hence enabling individual addressing of each thread. It is believed that a single strip of this cloth would work like a ribbon cable (which is used in computers to connect disk drives to controllers). Once the fabric is ready and cut into the desirable shape, work to add other components like resistors, capacitors etc beings. While these are usually sewn into the fabric directly, other components like crystals, LEDs etc are soldered into the metallic thread.

Some important features of this jacket are:

  • This jacket is made of silk organza and has an all-fabric keyboard as the controller.
  • This keyboard is made a responsive to touch and is durable and flexible.
  • There is a circuit printed in order to impart sensing ability to the keypad.
  • The keypad senses the touch as the electrode experiences an increase in capacitance when touched.
  • The keypads are connected to a miniature MIDI synthesizer that plays music. Power could be supplied by a parasitic power source such as solar power, wind, temperature or mechanical energy from turning wrists or walking.

Apart from the entertainment segment of computer clothing, the researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have also strived to develop intelligent apparel aiming towards keeping a check on heart rate and breathing. This smart shirt uses optical and electric conducive fibers, which are woven into the shirt, to monitor the heart rate and breathing.

Page 1