Wearable and mobile devices

Information and Communication Technologies, known as ICT, have undergone dramatic changes in the last 25 years. The 1980s was the decade of the Personal Computer (PC), which brought computing into the home and, in an educational setting, into the classroom. The 1990s gave us the World Wide Web (the Web), building on the infrastructure of the Internet, which has revolutionized the availability and delivery of information. In the midst of this information revolution, we are now confronted with a third wave of novel technologies (i.e., mobile and wearable computing), where computing devices already are becoming small enough so that we can carry them around at all times, and, in addition, they have the ability to interact with devices embedded in the environment. The development of wearable technology is perhaps a logical product of the convergence between the miniaturization of microchips (nanotechnology) and an increasing interest in pervasive computing, where mobility is the main objective. The miniaturization of computers is largely due to the decreasing size of semiconductors and switches; molecular manufacturing will allow for “not only molecular-scale switches but also nanoscale motors, pumps, pipes, machinery that could mimic skin” (Page, 2003, p. 2). This shift in the size of computers has obvious implications for the human-computer interaction introducing the next generation of interfaces. Neil Gershenfeld, the director of the Media Lab’s Physics and Media Group, argues, “The world is becoming the interface. Computers as distinguishable devices will disappear as the objects themselves become the means we use to interact with both the physical and the virtual worlds” (Page, 2003, p. 3). Ultimately, this will lead to a move away from desktop user interfaces and toward mobile interfaces and pervasive computing

The future design direction of smart clothing development

Literature indicates that Smart Clothing applications, the next generation of clothing and electronic products, have been struggling to enter the mass market because the consumers’ latent needs have not been recognised. Moreover, the design direction of Smart Clothes remains unclear and unfocused. Nevertheless, a clear design direction is necessary for all product development. Therefore, this research aims to identify the design directions of the emerging Smart Clothes industry by conducting a questionnaire survey and focus groups with its major design contributors. The results reveal that the current strategy of embedding a wide range of electronic functions in a garment is not suitable. This is primarily because it does not match the users’ requirements, purchasing criteria and lifestyle. The results highlight the respondents’ preference for personal healthcare and sportswear applications that suit their lifestyle, are aesthetically attractive, and provide a practical function

Arctic Resilience: Adaptive Networks of Self-Sufficiency

As the impacts of climate change reverberate across the globe, there is an increasing focus on communities already grappling with high environmental stress, limited resources, isolation, and economic challenges. Among these communities, the Arctic region stands out not for its population size, but for the threat posed to their traditional ways of life by the melting polar icecap, rising seas, changing ecology, and shifting migration patterns of vital wildlife. Many communities are living on shorelines being lost to the sea, having been moved there decades earlier by government and oil corporation dictates. Now facing impending relocation again, these communities have a unique opportunity to reimagine settlement patterns, community design, and regain autonomy from government dependence. At present, many of these communities are experiencing a significant amount of resource wastage. Factors such as inefficient use of energy, water, and materials, combined with inadequate waste management systems, contribute to unsustainable living practices. This not only puts a strain on the already limited resources available in these Arctic coastal communities but also exacerbates their vulnerability to climate change impacts. The existing strategies are quite basic and meet the fundamental requirements, but they lack resilience in the face of drastic environmental changes and do not maximize resource utilization. In this context, this thesis focuses on rearranging resources to design a closed-loop system for living in extreme cold environments and marginalized populations and how those living in a landscape of scarcity can make better use of the resources around them to achieve greater self-sufficiency through adopting a circular economy model that integrates shelter and land with food production, energy, water, and waste

Smart Textiles for Soldier of the Future

The textile-based materials, equipped with nanotechnology and electronics, have a majorrole in the development of high-tech milltary uniforms and materials. Active intelligent textilesystems, integrated to electronics, have the capacity of improving the combat soldiers performanceby sensing, adopting themselves and responding to a situational combat need allowing thecombat soldiers to continue their mission. Meantime, smart technologies aim to help soldiersdo everyth~ngth ey need to do with a less number of equipment and a lighter load. In this study,recent developments on smart garments, especially designed for military usage owing to theirelectronic functions, and intelligent textlle-based materials that can be used in battlefield, areintroduced

A review of technology of personal heating garments.

Modern technology makes garments smart, which can help a wearer to manage in specific situations by improving the functionality of the garments. The personal heating garment (PHG) widens the operating temperature range of the garment and improves its protection against the cold. This paper describes several kinds of PHGs worldwide; their advantages and disadvantages are also addressed. Some challenges and suggestions are finally addressed with regard to the development of PHGs

Oral application of L-menthol in the heat: From pleasure to performance

When menthol is applied to the oral cavity it presents with a familiar refreshing sensation and cooling mint flavour. This may be deemed hedonic in some individuals, but may cause irritation in others. This variation in response is likely dependent upon trigeminal sensitivity toward cold stimuli, suggesting a need for a menthol solution that can be easily personalised. Menthol’s characteristics can also be enhanced by matching colour to qualitative outcomes; a factor which can easily be manipulated by practitioners working in athletic or occupational settings to potentially enhance intervention efficacy. This presentation will outline the efficacy of oral menthol application for improving time trial performance to date, either via swilling or via co-ingestion with other cooling strategies, with an emphasis upon how menthol can be applied in ecologically valid scenarios. Situations in which performance is not expected to be enhanced will also be discussed. An updated model by which menthol may prove hedonic, satiate thirst and affect ventilation will also be presented, with the potential performance implications of these findings discussed and modelled. Qualitative reflections from athletes that have implemented menthol mouth swilling in competition, training and maximal exercise will also be included

SmartPro – Smart protective solutions for industrial safety and productivity in the cold

Year-round activity involves challenging climatic conditions for the industries in the North. Especially in the winter cold disturbs not only the machinery of industrial processes and vehicles, but is also very crucial factor to reduce worker’s thermal comfort, performance, and occupational health and safety. In the cold, work capability and productivity decrease, the risk of mistakes and errors increases and stress level elevates. Peripheral body parts, such as hands, are the first to cool when humans are exposed to cold resulting in reduced manual and psychomotor performance. This report describes possibilities of sensor-based heating systems integrated into gloves to prolong the safe and efficient working time in the cold. The project was carried out in co-operation with SINTEF and it was part of Saf€ra program

Augmented Reality as an Option to Enhance the Tourism Experience - A Review

Due to the Covid-19 situation, the tourism sector has faced several challenges to be able to gradually continue with its different activities related to the tourism experience. Therefore, the sector has had to reinvent itself to return to the tourism activity; from this context arises the need to explore various technologies and, within this, the different types of augmented reality (AR). This paper is a systematic review of the literature. The following databases were considered: IEEE Xplore, Springer Link, Scopus, and Science Direct. The PRISMA methodology was used to collect and synthesize information. As a result, the different contributions of AR were systematized, and the most used type of AR and the main factors that influence the improvement of the tourism experience with the support of an AR-oriented application have been rescued. Finally, a proposed model for establishing AR-related systems to provide a better tourism experience is presented

Evaluation of the Performances of Electrically Heated Clothing

Cold weather garments are necessary for people who are exposed to cold environments (below -5 °C). The weight and bulkiness of such a cold weather clothing ensemble may limit human activity and reduce the productivity. In order to solve these problems, a slim garment with a built-in heating element could be useful. The heat input power and heating efficiency are the two most important parameters for a piece of heated clothing. The input power determines how much heat can be released from the whole clothing system, while the heating efficiency demonstrates how many percent of the thermal energy could effectively contribute to wearers. However, previous studies have mainly focused on heat input power and there is a lack of knowledge about the heating efficiency of the heated clothing. In this thesis, performances of electrically heated garments were compared and evaluated on two thermal manikins. The factors that affect on the clothing heating efficiency were thoroughly studied. It was found that the ambient temperature (or temperature gradient), air velocity and clothing combination can significantly influence the heating efficiency of a heated garment. In order to make good use of the thermal energy, the heating power should be well adjusted according to the environmental conditions. The heated clothing sandwiched between underwear and jacket in a three-layer clothing ensemble is one of the most effective ways to enhance the heating efficiency. In addition, the heated clothing alters the thermal evenness of clothing ensemble due to the heat release. This gives further evidence that the serial calculation method of clothing thermal resistance does not work for heterogeneous clothing ensembles