A group of researchers has designed and tested a “smart” jacket equipped with environmental sensors, heat-generating and colour-changing yarns, and artificial intelligence (AI) to control temperature and prevent overheating.
- The AI-enabled jacket was crafted from an electronic textile to deliver optimal heating to the wearer, and colour-changing yarns that signal temperatures below 86 Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) and above 104 F (40 C).
- The researchers combined AI-driven systems with thermochromic yarn to create a fabric that warms the user without overheating and provides immediate temperature readings for easy monitoring.
- Their results have been published in the American Chemical Society’s ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
THE PROCESS: The researchers, led by Jeanne Tan, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, created an intelligent heating jacket from their new e-textile containing heat-generating, silver-coated yarn and two types of thermochromic yarn.
- The silver-coated yarn warms the garment with less bulk and more flexibility than traditionally used carbon fibre.
- The AI-based temperature control system incorporated into the jacket was trained on 50 subjects with a range of ages, genders and body types who identified their ideal heat settings in environments with varying temperatures, humidities and wind speeds.
- The colour-changing yarns added a safety feature to the jacket, with one yarn transitioning from purple to pink to indicate a heating temperature above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) to allow for easy temperature monitoring during the day.
- In dark environments, the other, polymeric optical fibre yarn gave off a blue, yellow or red glow to indicate temperatures of 86 F (30 C), 104 F (40 C) and 122 F (50 C), respectively.
- In a demonstration, the thermochromic and optical fibre yarns in the jacket accurately indicated heating temperature, and the jacket’s AI component predicted a comfortable temperature and provided consistent heating for the wearer, even when the environment changed.
In the future, the team says their e-textile technology could be used in various applications, from heated car seats and furniture to spacesuits.
FUNDING: The project received funding from the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design under InnoHK Research Clusters, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
THE CONTEXT: Some electronic textiles, or e-textiles, have sensors that can monitor the wearer’s heart rate, blood pressure and movement, or can connect via Bluetooth to mobile apps that control temperature.
- Yet, even with technological advances, users can still be injured by these products.
- Older people are especially prone to heat-related injuries because of decreased heat sensitivity, and residents of nursing homes and assisted living communities are vulnerable because their temperatures cannot always be easily or frequently monitored by healthcare providers
ABOUT: The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organisation chartered by the US Congress.
- The ACS is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, e-books and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News.
