First came the “smart people”, then came “smart phone” and now comes “smart clothing” ! Smart fabrics or electronic-integrated textiles i.e. “E-textiles” is now becoming a reality. Until now, the technology used for the E-textiles made the materials too rigid and bulky that made this process complicated. Now, a group of  scientists under supervision of Nicholas A. Kotov and Chuanlai Xu, is proposing a new material for e-textiles that would make the material much lighter, softer and more flexible and would make real life usage possible.

And the technology which forms the backbone ?  None other than our favorite, “Nanotechnology”. As GearLog notes, “This material is made out of cotton fibers coated with electrolytes and carbon nanotubes using a simple process the scientists have devised. Treated fibers were tested to be conducive enough to carry charge and power a light-emitting diode connected to them.” The important part is that the fibers successfully reacted to albumin which is a critical protein in the human blood. The fabric will also help to detect if the person wearing it is bleeding, a perfect utility for the military. Overall one more great breakthrough in nanotechnology.

[source: gearlog.com]