One can claim that the advent of human civilization initiated when our ancestors invented—stone tools, the crudest form of technology. In fact, history teaches us that any civilization that has gained a technological edge over its rivals has generally prevailed. Even in the 21st century, this holds true as most developed nations are miles ahead of their contemporaries, courtesy of their technological advances. Our modern lives are interwoven with technology. And, that is what the budding concept of smart textiles is all about.
Passive Smart Textiles
The first of the smarts textiles were the original trendsetters. The first generation of smart textiles, their novel properties included being woke to the surrounding environment and stimuli. Mostly they consist of simple sensors. They record the effect of the environment on it. They can record changes in the form of color, shape, and both electrical and thermal resistivity. Plasma treated textiles, textiles with optical sensors, and UV protective textiles are some of the prime examples.
Active Smart Textiles
These textiles followed the passive smart textiles to be reckoned as the second generation of smart textiles. Apart from the sensors of their predecessors, these textiles are also armed with actuators. Hence, they can not only sense but also respond to external stimuli. They can absorb vapors, get heated automatically, and further store it, manifest the chameleon effect, memorize shapes, regulate temperature, and resist water.
Ultra smart textiles
These textiles apart from being proficient sensors and actuators can adapt to benefit you optimally in accordance with the external stimuli or change in environment. These textiles come along with an in-built micro-computer which acts as a brain for the fabrics. Examples of these textiles would be space-suits, musical jackets, and wearable computers. The latest of these textiles are in the process of incorporating artificial intelligence and advanced computer interface.
Pros and Cons
Pundits deem technology as a double-edged sword. The benefits of smart textiles come along with some limitations too. We would, however, as eternal optimists count the blessings first. The first thing that strikes the mind would be enhanced communication. As these communication systems would be integrated into these fabrics. A simple application of these textiles would be to adjust their temperature in proportion to the environmental temperature so as to keep the wearer always comfortable. As monitoring gadgets, these textiles would have numerous applications in the form of biometrics among athletics, patients, and fitness enthusiasts. The military application would literally arm soldiers with uniforms that could camouflage in accordance with the background of surroundings plus let them coordinate with other team members and the command center automatically. For miners and engineers working in hazardous conditions, it can even save their lives in critical situations. For the youth, it would augment in their ‘cool’ factor, and they can flaunt their swag with color changing and even dynamic light-emitting clothes in parties and nightclubs. One of the most prominent uses would be for astronauts and scientists trying to explore uncharted waters in the depths of the ocean or safeguarding them in space, and even on other cosmic entities. For example- these suits would be able to automatically react and protect the astronauts in case they note a spike in the radiation.
The limitations include the shorter operating duration for smart textiles as they depend on the ingrained battery life. Data security is a crucial factor to be concerned about. Most of these textiles have little or null bandwidth in terms of data protection. Businesses can use this personal data to bombard the wearers with their unwanted marketing and sales efforts. Governments can use this personal information to track or monitor consumers. Moreover, if cybercriminals gain access to these records, they can put consumers in a precarious situation.
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