Smart fabric solutions

Two European research streams are investigating new applications for smart fabrics, including helping prevent repetitive strain injury (RSI) and keeping emergency workers safe in disaster zones.

The Context project developed a vest to tackle RSI, a serious work safety issue which can lead to debilitating injury. To do so, researchers used sophisticated sensors to measure muscle contraction as a predictor for long-term, low-key stress, the leading risk factor for RSI.

One problem the team had to address was that electromyography, or electrical activity in the muscle, is much subtler than electrocardiography, which measures the heart, and even rustle of clothing can drown out the signal.

The team is currently making improvements to the reliability of its RSI vest, which can warn wearers to take a recuperative break and prevent long-term problems.

The second project, Proetex, produced garments for firefighters, paramedics and rescue workers that can monitor people’s health, identify their location and even detect dangerous chemicals in the atmosphere.