Screen Printing - April/May 2018 - 22

the OMbra from OMsignal
[left] is available online and
at select retail stores across
the US and Canada. it goes
beyond the basic heart-rate
monitoring of smart watches
and communicates accurate
heart and breathing rhythms
to the OMrun app. OMrun
scientifically determines
each person's intensity level
for optimal progress and
fat-burning while reducing
the risk of injury and fatigue.
Right, team USA flag bearer
Erin Hamlin models her
polo ralph Lauren team
USA Opening Ceremony
heated parka. (Courtesy of
OMsignal and Ralph Lauren,
respectively.)

Sensoria has trademarked their vision "The Garment Is
The Computer." They have developed an entire line of sports
bras and T-shirts that can be connected to training plans in
the Sensoria Run v2.0 app, which features a cardiologistcreated algorithm called Heart Sentinel that can detect
certain cardiac irregularities that often precede catastrophic
events. If distance runners or cyclists experience cardiac
distress while training alone in a remote area, for example, the
Heart Sentinel can confirm that the athlete is still conscious or
send a text message urging family members to seek help.
Sensoria also makes running shoes with textile pressure
sensors infused under the plantar area of the foot. The running
shoes not only track how far and how fast a runner travels, but
also how well he or she runs. Sensoria's artificial intelligence
coach monitors cadence, foot landing, and impact forces to
help runners reduce the risk of injuries.
Sensing Tex, based in Barcelona, Spain, is a company
that integrates electronics into textiles for use as fitness
mats, seating pads, mattress pads, or flexible keyboards.
The company's Switch Sensor Tex converts any fabric or
textile backing into a flexible, portable, washable keyboard
that can be used either as a standalone device or incorporated
into sports gear or automotive upholsteries. The company's
Mattress Mat for bedding applications can measure and
monitor the position of a patient, evaluate patient comfort,
or detect nonuniform pressures that can cause bedsores in
patients who remain in beds or wheelchairs for extended
periods of time.
Ohmatex in Denmark has been finding new ways to
integrate electronics into textiles for more than 10 years, providing customized solutions for every project and customer.
Ohmatex products include thin conductive-textile cabling and
washable connectors that provide comfortable and practical ways of introducing electronics into garments and smart
wearable devices. Ohmatex currently has a contract with the
European Space Agency to develop a garment for monitoring muscle activity in astronauts during their training on the
International Space Station. Other projects they have been
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involved with include embedding heat sensors in firefighter
suits made by Viking Life-Saving Equipment and developing
woven fibers that can convert and store solar energy.
Schoeller Textil AG is a Switzerland-based company
that makes and licenses performance, protection, and
technical textiles. The company won a major 2017 Swiss
award for design excellence for its heatable e-soft-shell
fabric, which can be cut to size for making clothing without
affecting the embedded technology. It is primarily designed
for outdoor sports and motorcycling but could also be
used for fashion or wellness applications. E-soft-shell is a
laminate consisting of bi-elastic tissue, machined lining,
and a functional corkshell coating. The heating technology
is based on metallic yarns integrated with the fabric in a
diamond-shaped geometrical pattern. The material can be
heated evenly at standard voltages.
Some developers of textiles and garments are exploring
the possibility of using graphene, a one-atom-thick layer of
carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. About 200
times stronger than steel, graphene is an excellent conductor
of heat and electricity. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have demonstrated how graphene inks can be inkjet
printed directly onto fabrics to produce integrated electronic
circuits that are comfortable to wear.
Directa Plus produces graphene-based products used in
consumer and industrial markets. Two new textile collections
by Colmar and Eurojersey contain the Directa Plus Graphene
Plus (G+) technology. When used in fabrics, G+ technology
can disperse excess body heat in warm climates and conserve
body heat in cold temperatures. The fabric dries rapidly and
prevents the spread of bacteria and unpleasant odors. Colmar
offers G+ technology in 31 garments, including men's and
women's ski jackets and snow pants. Eurojersey includes G+
in its Sensitive Fabrics brand of warp-knit technical fabrics
for sportswear, "athleisure," and underwear.

ReseaRch PRojects
Engineers at Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Screen Printing - April/May 2018