Textile adapts to changing temperature

Filed in archive High-Tech Textiles on July 17, 2006

While surfing the site of the "Bath University" the last days I found another interesting project from there: a fabric that keeps cool when it's hot and warm in winter days. Or like my source Starling Fitness wrote:

There is a scene in Back To The Future II where Michael J. Fox falls into water. His futuristic clothing makes itself dry with a rush of air.

[from the University of Bath sic!] The technology imitates pine cones .

How it works: The smart garments will consist of a top layer of tiny spikes of water-absorbent material, possibly wool, each only 1/200th of a millimetre wide. When the wearer of the clothing gets hot and sweats, the tiny spikes in the material will react to the moisture and automatically open up, so that air from the outside can get through the material to cool the wearer. When the wearer stops sweating, the spikes will close down again to stop air getting in.

What I really like is that it'll need no sensors to measure and calibrate your bodies temperature. Just natures quit good idea of "well being".

Read more here University of Bath

via Starling Fitness