Smart shirt to minimize back pain, improve posture

October 30th, 2015

Privately held Adela Health of Altadena, Calif., is developing TruPosture, a slim, high-tech vest that aims to fix a user’s spine and alleviate or eliminate back pain. Featuring nanosensors, Lycra and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts a week, TruPosture measures the curve of the wearer’s spine and gives detailed instructions on how to adjust […]

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Sciessent launches self-regenerating odor control agents

October 29th, 2015

Sciessent, provider of antimicrobial and odor-absorption solutions for the textile and apparel industries, has released its next generation of odor-control products, Agion Active XL and Lava XL. While other odor-control technologies rely on laundering to regenerate their odor-fighting properties, Agion Active XL and Lava XL self-regenerate between launderings for longer-lasting odor control. Sciessent Lava XL, […]

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DAPBI halts Teijin Aramid program

October 28th, 2015

Dutch high-tech fiber developer Teijin Aramid has announced it is stopping its research program that would develop and commercialize aramid copolymers containing DAPBI. The prototype materials demonstrated good antiballistic performance, but use of the substance could be dangerous to people involved in the production of the monomer and copolymer. In recent years, Arnhem-based Teijin Aramid […]

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Graphene-coated “e-fabrics” detect noxious gases

October 23rd, 2015

Scientists in Korea have developed wearable, graphene-coated fabrics that can detect dangerous gases present in the air, alerting the wearer by turning on an LED light. The researchers, from the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, a non-profit Korean government-funded research organization, and Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea, coated cotton and polyester yarn with a […]

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United By Blue unveils bison-fiber insulated jacket

October 23rd, 2015

Philadelphia-based clothing and accessories provider United By Blue has introduced the Ultimate American Jacket™, a waterproof insulated winter jacket sourced and built entirely in the United States and made with bison fiber insulation. The jacket is a four-layer, waterproof winter jacket that incorporates United By Blue’s proprietary B100 Fill™ bison fiber insulation. Independent laboratory testing […]

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Wearables are here to stay

October 23rd, 2015

Interest, investment and applications in wearable technology show significant growth patterns. IFAI’s Advanced Textiles Conference in Anaheim, Calif., in October offered attendees a variety of opportunities to learn about the current and projected market, new product offerings and breakthrough technologies in the wearable technology sector. IFAI’s market research manager Jeff Rasmussen reported that the worldwide […]

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UltraTech launches EverShield® fabric protection

October 23rd, 2015

Two months after UltraTech International Inc. announced it had a new product, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based company showcased EverShield® at the 2015 IFAI Expo in Anaheim, Calif. UltraTech continues to diversify its product portfolio beyond its core business of spill containment. EverShield represents cutting-edge technology in fabric protection. Whereas liquid repellency products traditionally provide surface treatment, […]

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Nike and MIT project focuses on materials and the environment

October 23rd, 2015

Nike has teamed up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Climate CoLab in a project to “bring innovation in materials to the forefront of the climate conversation,” and Nike has committed to reach 100 percent renewable energy in company-owned and operated facilities by 2025. “We know materials make up about 60 percent of the […]

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Interactive canopy installation in Shanghai “speaks” to its occupants

October 22nd, 2015

An innovative art installation, constructed as a canopy over visitors, responds to the presence of people and starts playing synthesis-based ocean sounds, so that when people enter the installation, it seems that the artwork itself is “speaking” interactively to them, within the suspended canopy of the “Spring Dragon Tail” sculpture by Chun Long Tiao. The […]

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Report: Focus on commercializing multi-functional, high-performance materials

October 22nd, 2015

With their many existing and potential applications, and ongoing research and development, the commercialization of new materials and coatings is expected across various industries—especially in healthcare, electronics and energy markets. A recent report from Mountain View, Calif.-based Frost & Sullivan—“2015 Top Technologies in Materials & Coatings” identifies the following as key technologies likely to have […]

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