Smart sleeve stitching captures arm movement

Known as SeamSleeve, the technology creates electrical circuits by passing low voltage currents through conductive threads in the garment seams.

Resistance in the circuits changes as the body moves, creating a picture of activity that the researchers say is much more accurate than that captured by smartwatches or smartphones.

Developed by researchers at Bath and Bristol universities, SeamSleeve will be presented at the Designing Interactive Systems (DIS) conference in Copenhagen today (3 July).

"We're excited by the opportunity for clothing manufacturers to implement our designs in sleeves and other garment seams,” said Professor Mike Fraser of Bristol University's School of Computer Science

“We've shown that common overlocked seams in standard garment constructions can do a good job of sensing movement. The design avoids the need for a separate power source by pairing the seam with a charging coil, drawing the energy wirelessly from a mobile phone placed in the pocket. This means advanced motion sensing garments could be made without altering existing manufacturing processes.”