Researchers build what they envision as wearable computers

Computer chips, sensors and other mini electronic devices have become embedded in just about everything — cars, toasters, credit cards, even dogs and cats.

The next frontier for microelectronics may be clothing, according to an Arizona State University researcher who is trying to merge technology with fashion.

Frederic Zenhausern, director of the Applied NanoBioscience Center at ASU, has joined with Ghassan Jabbour, a professor at the University of Arizona, to develop two prototypes of "biometric bodysuits" that contain embedded sensors, power sources, microfluidic devices and other gadgets not normally associated with the latest Paris fashions.

Such "smart" clothing could give future soldiers early warning of chemical attacks or automatically deliver insulin to diabetics, Zenhausern said.

"The biometric bodysuit shows how electronics and fluidics can be incorporated into clothing to perform a wide range of tasks, from highly functional to the aesthetic," he said.

The two prototypes, dubbed Scentsory Chameleon Bodysuits, were displayed May 14-16 at NextFest 2004, a future-technologies show sponsored by Wired magazine and General Electric in San Francisco.

One of the prototypes is a military outfit that includes sensors that could "sniff" the air for chemical or biological agents, lowtemperature fuel cells that would provide a lightweight power source for a soldier’s equipment and a flexible electroluminescent display that wraps onto the cuff to give the soldier updated commands, warnings and other information.

Jabbour is an expert on flexible displays, which are composed of molecules that emit light under certain conditions. By placing the molecules on a flexible substrate such as plastic, the result is a computer-like display screen that can move and bend.

Also exhibited at Next-Fest was a biometric outfit that demonstrates how miniature electronics could be embedded in clothing to promote health. It is made of clear vinyl and white plastics to show the placement of various electronic and fluidic devices. In the future, such an outfit could diagnose diseases and deliver medications to the wearer, monitor heart rate or blood pressure, deliver interactive games and other forms of entertainment or function as a wearable computer.

Another possibility would be to download different designs from the Internet so the fabric could change colors and patterns, Zenhausern said. And it could all be made to look stylish by blending the electronics with high-fashion designs, he said.

The personal wellness garment was developed by Zenhausern with Galina Mihaleva, a costume designer in the dance department at the ASU Herberger College of Fine Arts; and Jenny Tillotson, a clothing designer based in London.

Dr. James Canton, chief executive of the Institute for Global Futures in San Francisco, said biometric clothing could reach the market in a few years. He said Levi Strauss & Co. already produces clothes with a nanotech coating that resists stains.

Biometric clothes are likely to be adopted first by the military, but personal security concerns could move it quickly to the civilian market, he said.

"We will wear our own biometric bar code that can usher us more quickly through airports," he said. "If terrorists bomb a few more shopping malls, we will be willing to trade privacy for better security."

The concept of embedding microelectronics in fabrics has potential far beyond clothing. Sheila Kennedy, a Boston-based architect and visiting professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, sees possibilities for the technology in building design. As an example, she said window shades containing organic light emitting diodes could produce electricity from sunlight that would help generate power.

"I foresee the day when a substantial portion of a building’s energy is generated from the exterior envelope," she said.