One of the most curious applications of the Internet of Things is clothing. Thanks to this technology, we can create T-shirts that measure our heartbeat. This is a very useful function for those who practice exercise. We can even know what our body temperature is. Until now, we have created smart bracelets that tell us how many steps and kilometers we do each day, as well as the number of calories we burn, but this information has not yet been transferred to clothing.
This phenomenon has already been baptized as the Internet of Clothing. Today, there are even prototypes of shirts that reduce stress, socks that offer us information on the way we tread and swimsuits that tell us when we should wear sunscreen again. There are also jackets connected to our mobile phone that show our mood, activate our music player and even answer a call. With these examples, it is clear that the textile sector faces the challenge of connectivity. But what for? To improve our lives. IoT captures information from our body and offers it to us so we can make decisions. For example, if we are running and our socks inform us that we are treading badly, we can choose to change our footwear and so avoid a future injury.
Another function of smart clothes is to improve our health and safety. Sensors placed on our shirt can alert us of a bad posture while we work and, therefore, help us correct it. Our babies’ clothes can tell us if they have a fever, and even a smart brassiere can detect breast cancer. If we wear smart clothes and get lost, police can track our last movements and find us. Even in the workplace, the uniform we wear can let us know if there is an obstacle in the area. Sport, safety, health and work are, in conclusion, the sectors where smart fabrics work best.
IoT and workers’ safety
IOTSWC19 held a discussion about how the Internet of Things works as a technology capable of making work environment safer. During the talk, the speakers gave some examples of companies in which connected workers have increased productivity. You can check more information about the talk and the rest of this year’s congress here.