Designer protection

May 23, 2014  |  Features

When President Barack Obama strolled down the street following his inauguration in 2009, it was a bold move in the eyes of many. Although details of the president’s attire were not made available to the press, we do know that the president was wearing a bullet-proof suit by Columbian clothing comp…
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Safety on the line

May 9, 2014  |  Features

Protective products in industrial environments are close cousins to those used by the military, firefighters and police. What does the phrase “high-tech protective textile products” suggest? Firefighter gear? Bulletproof  vests? Clothing that resists arc, flame and impact? One might think of al…
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Right and light

April 19, 2014  |  Features

Hazmat protection needs to be exactly right for its use—and as lightweight as possible. Protecting people from hazardous materials is serious business—and it’s complex. Fabric designed for use in hazmat suits and gear undergo careful research and rigorous testing before they are ever made into…
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Radiation protective textiles for earth and beyond

April 7, 2014  |  Features

With close to $1.46 billion in investments since 2008, the commercial space industry is blasting ahead at speeds close to their supersonic vehicles. Key players include former Paypal co-founder Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Virgin’s own celebrity Sir Richard Branson. Promises of breath…
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MIST methodologies

April 7, 2014  |  Features

NCSU lab rethinks chemical/biological hazard protection testing and derives important new conclusions. When you ask first responders if they are more concerned about having enough protection against flash fire exposures, ballistic and physical hazards, heat stress, or chemical and biological threats…
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Synthetic skin is self-healing

March 22, 2014  |  Features

Imagine trying to emulate what human skin does to protect and heal our bodies. Not only is our skin sensitive, sending the brain information about pressure and temperature, but it heals efficiently to maintain a protective barrier. Combining these two features into one synthetic material has been th…
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“Nose in clothes,” one year later

March 22, 2014  |  Features

When we think “wearable technology” we may think of photovoltaic materials powering small electronic devices, or sensors relating vital signs to health care providers. About a year ago, U.K.-based Peratech announced its involvement in a new project, dubbed “Nose in clothes.” Doctoral candida…
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The healing textiles

March 8, 2014  |  Features

Biomedical textiles are one of the fastest growing segments in the textile industry, according to Dr. Martin King, professor of textiles at North Carolina State University (NCSU), and an expert in biotextiles. But what exactly are biomedical textiles? What’s driving development? And what are the b…
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PurThread™ uses antimicrobial core

March 8, 2014  |  Features

Antimicrobial textile advances include reducing bacteria on the fabrics healthcare workers and patients come into contact with every day: hospital bedding and privacy curtains, and lab coats and scrubs. At the earliest stages, these advancements essentially involved two ways to achieve antimicrobial…
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Experiencing textiles

February 7, 2014  |  Features

One project which may illustrate our design philosophy and our aspirations is Wall-E(motion), a modular system of textile discs that have been embroidered with conductive yarn to generate sensory outputs including light, sound and scent, across a custom-made surface.
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