Smart Shirts

The “Smart” Product Revolution. Next Up: Shirts!

French fashion has long been upheld as having one of the world’s highest standards for design. Of course, design and practicality rarely go hand-in-hand in the fashion world. Cityzen Sciences, a French manufacturing company, is looking to bring the two together with a smart shirt. What will it do, and do you really want to add technology to something that gets thrown in the wash on a regular basis?

The shirt uses micro sensors to detect various facets of the wearer’s current health conditions. Heart rate, body heat, movement, and respiration can all be tracked via the technologically advanced garment. It’s all operated using a tiny transmitter powered by a battery. This keeps the shirt perpetually linked up with your smartphone. An app keeps track of all the data coming from the shirt. What are the benefits?

Imagine being a commanding officer and knowing the stress and fatigue level of all of the soldiers under your command at all times. During an emergency situation, you know exactly who can handle the next life-saving mission. The same thing goes when it comes to sending first responders into danger. You can pull tired crew out before they get injured or trapped themselves. Athletes can be pulled out of a training session by their coach before they experience a dangerous situation. It would take the guesswork out of pushing the athlete’s body to the limit.

So here’s the big question: What about keeping it clean? That part is still in the works. The manufacturer’s goal is to have the garment recharge itself when it is in the laundry. They want to use the mechanical energy from the wash cycle to get the shirt all powered up for its next wear. Now that’s a useful and efficient shirt! Look for it sometime later on in 2014, and expect this technology to extend beyond just shirts to become a full line of smart clothing.