Smart clothing'

Computing technology is shifting from desktop and small electronic devices to closer links to our lives, through costumes. It's not just about integrating an Mp3 gramophone into a jacket. Computer engineers are aiming to make smart fabrics with computer chips and sensors that enhance the body's defense, and even save lives.

'Rather than just quietly' sitting 'on a desk or in a pocket, the computer will be able to observe what's going on around the day, understand things that are important to us, and when need to become an effective assistant, "said Thad Starner, associate professor at Georgia University of Technology. He is at the forefront of developing smart wearable computers, capable of recording and responding to information.

Smart clothing has many uses from daily life recognition to health monitoring.(Photo: CNN)

Integrating technology into everyday items is not new. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology integrated into brands has been used by many retail corporations such as Wal-Mart to monitor the distribution process and enhance warehouse security. Similar technology is being used at some airports to search for luggage, instead of barcode labels that are of low reliability. However, the next generation of computers can do more than just "keep an eye" on the location of the device. Thanks to the sensor and microchip system, bags or clothes in the future will remind you to bring it with you even if it is rainy this afternoon, or remember to bring your key when you're about to leave the house.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is developing computerized cloths that can be placed in everyday clothes or items. Each cloth contains a unit of the system including the processor and memory combined with the sensor or radio transmitting device . With the addition of a Bluetooth chip, the fabric will have a feature that notifies the wearer of weather forecast information downloaded from the Internet. 'Smart clothing will continue to be a specialized outfit in the near future and it has many other applications such as games, diaries and personal help', Professor Cliff Randell at Bristol University (UK). to speak.

The fabrics produced by Jonathan Engel and Chang Liu are not only similar to nylon but also conductive. The manufacturer hopes this fabric can feel or adapt to the environment around the wearer, such as heating if it is cold outside.

Technology for making computer-based devices can also make progress in the field of medicine. Carnegie Mellon University (USA) invented the diabetes patient assistance system (DIMA). The system can be equipped with wireless communication equipment including blood glucose meter, digital camera and step meter. Scientists believe that data stored by the system can help doctors promptly identify changes in their health status.

THAI AN