Close your eyes and imagine a world where fashion not only mimics the past, but also, the rapidly changing past of technology. Imagine with just one swipe of your fingertips across the fabric of your car you can lower the temperature of the car, turn the radio station, or with just one touch of the sofa turn off all of the lights in the house. Excited?So was I when I read anarticle in new scientist by Paul Marks. All
of the things I mentioned above are being worked on, fine tuned, and soon will be available for every house in America!
Researcher Maksim Skorobogatiy has merged the realm of technology with the fabric world by creating a smart fabric that behaves just like the touch screen on our phones. To do this Skorobogatiy and his team of researchers have created a soft polymer- based fiber that can be weaved into fabric. This fiber holds electrical properties that can change depending on where it is touched. Finger movement such as swipe can be logged and used to control things such as the house temperature or the temperature in the car.
Unlike recent smart fabrics the fiber is easily cleaned, an important factor for something that would most likely be used on a daily basis, this technology is already being considered for cars. BMW has all ready-made plans to install this touch screen fabric in future models. And rumor has it that it might not be long before this innovative technology is worn in every day fashion. I don’t know about you, but I would love to swipe a finger across my hips to change the color of my dress, or to make a loose shirt tighter. Maybe I’m thinking a little to far ahead in the future, but with such exciting and new technology it’s hard for your mind not to wonder. This technology can and will change fashion forever.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Moore chapter.