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Vollebak has released the Shielding Suit, a wearable technology made with pure silver that blocks radio waves so no one can track, hack, or call the users. The silver-added suit, which shares the same electromagnetic shielding technology that NASA has used for its Mars Rover, blocks electromagnetic radiation and shields users from infrared cameras.
Comprised of a jacket and pants, the suit deflects wave frequencies ranging from 0.2 GHz to 10 GHz, including WiFi, Bluetooth, Ku-band satellites, and radar systems. During testing, the team says they’ve achieved a blocking effectiveness of 60 dB against different frequencies. This is equivalent to 99 percent of signal reduction.
The outer material of the Shielding Suit starts with a base of ripstop nylon, which has been metallized using a process that allows for the pure silver to “grow into the fabric” instead of being applied as a coating, so the pure silver is part of the fiber before being woven into the fabric. The company says that because silver is both conductive and antimicrobial, the material can also kill bacteria.
The suit’s jacket has a soft polyester lining, a two-way front zipper, a hood with a cord adjuster at the back, and two elastic cord adjusters at the hem. Users can tighten the cuffs around their wrists with a single snap fastener. The pants have a soft mesh lining inside, an elastic waistband with a bungee cord adjuster, and the ankles can be tightened as with a snap fastener. There are two pockets with invisible, stay-down zippers at either side of the pants and two more zipped pockets at the back, both with storm flaps made from the silver material.
The company collaborated with Shieldex, the Bremen-based laboratory that made metallicized fabric for the Mars Rovers. While the Shielding Suit with pure silver only blocks low-frequency waves for now, “It’s our first step towards everyday clothing that is fully radiation-proof,” says the design team.