Japanese-Developed "Smart Cloth" Can Monitor Your Heart Rate via Nanofibers
Japanese companies Toray and NTT Docomo have collaborated on a a cloth that uses nanofibers that can offer metrics resembling a cardiogram.
Last week, we reported on a Japanese-developed bra that only opens when someone is "in love." [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/131654-New-Japanese-Developed-Bra-Only-Opens-When-a-Woman-is-In-Love] Now, two other Japanese companies are doing something with clothing that's a lot more practical. Japanese mobile service provider NTT Docomo and materials developer Toray have been working on a joint effort to produce "Hitoe" a cloth that has Toray-developed nanofibers that are coated in a transmittable covering. In the video, you can see it as the little square cloth that looks like a nicotine patch. Using two of the cloths, they will act as electrodes which can measure a person's heartbeat and even offer metrics resembling a cardiogram.
Once the patches has been connected to NTT Docomo's health app available on its smartphones, a user can then use the heart rate sensor and see the results on their phones. Those curious, the small sensors can be thrown into a washing machine, and is said to be flexible and lightweight.
This might come in handy for medical purposes, the health conscious or even for athletes where your heart rate is monitored. Hopefully, further developments make it look a little bit less chunky, but otherwise, wearable "smart clothes" is just right on the horizon.
Source: Engadget [http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/30/ntt-docomo-toray-smart-cloth/#continued]
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Japanese companies Toray and NTT Docomo have collaborated on a a cloth that uses nanofibers that can offer metrics resembling a cardiogram.
Last week, we reported on a Japanese-developed bra that only opens when someone is "in love." [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/131654-New-Japanese-Developed-Bra-Only-Opens-When-a-Woman-is-In-Love] Now, two other Japanese companies are doing something with clothing that's a lot more practical. Japanese mobile service provider NTT Docomo and materials developer Toray have been working on a joint effort to produce "Hitoe" a cloth that has Toray-developed nanofibers that are coated in a transmittable covering. In the video, you can see it as the little square cloth that looks like a nicotine patch. Using two of the cloths, they will act as electrodes which can measure a person's heartbeat and even offer metrics resembling a cardiogram.
Once the patches has been connected to NTT Docomo's health app available on its smartphones, a user can then use the heart rate sensor and see the results on their phones. Those curious, the small sensors can be thrown into a washing machine, and is said to be flexible and lightweight.
This might come in handy for medical purposes, the health conscious or even for athletes where your heart rate is monitored. Hopefully, further developments make it look a little bit less chunky, but otherwise, wearable "smart clothes" is just right on the horizon.
Source: Engadget [http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/30/ntt-docomo-toray-smart-cloth/#continued]
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