Most of us are always careful about the fit of our smartwatches, fitbands, or any wearable tracker we use. There is a general notion that loose-fitted wearables will not give accurate measurements. Guess what? It’s not true anymore. A recent study proved that loose and baggy smart clothes can track physical movements better than any strapped or fitted wearable.
In a recently published paper, a long-held perception about wearables was proved wrong. Scientists at King’s College London discovered that fabric-mounted sensors show 40% better accuracy than skin-tight wearables like smartwatches, fitbands, and patches. Additionally, smart clothes need almost 80% less movements to show accurate results.
Smart Clothes Outperform Current Wearables
Mainstream wearables in the market are generally tight on the skin and have a strong grip on the wrists of users. Intense workouts with these wearables are uncomfortable and impact the user’s performance. Companies have been pushing hard to develop comfortable designs and advanced features for fitted wearables. However, scientists have debunked the belief that fitted wearable to be most accurate.
To the surprise, loose smart clothes will make the movement tracking smoother and more accurate. Matthew Howard, co-author of the paper, said, “This discovery means that now we can move away from wearable tech that feels like medical instruments, and go towards smart clothing like pins, buttons, and dresses.”
How Sensors Work in Smart Clothes?
As per the research paper, sensors in loose clothes can also help in detecting small movements that many wearables miss. This can help in detecting conditions like Parkinson’s tremors in the early stages. Di Guilio, co-author of the study, said, “Through this approach, we could amplify people’s movement, which will help capture them even when they are smaller than typical able-bodied movements.”
He also said that these sensors will allow Doctors to track their patients at home, as well as researchers to gather data conveniently.
Is Smart Clothing the Next Wearable Trend?
Smart clothing can revolutionize the world of wearables for the better. Several elders and even adults don’t prefer wearing watches, bands, or any device on their wrists or fingers. It is an uncomfortable experience for them. Smart clothes will become one of the best alternatives for them. You will be able to track your parents and even children from far away with the help of these devices.
But many limitations still need to be solved. Smart clothes are still not available in the market, and many are still in the testing process. Researchers will need to try different fabrics to predict the best material for sensors and whether it is mainstream or not. Clothes need to be washed, will sensors be able to go through washing machines, or will developers come up with a different way?
Still lot of question marks are standing in the way of smart clothes becoming a new trend in the wearable industry.
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