Summary of present applications

Although the most lucrative and utility-based E-Textile applications seem to be growing rapidly in medical applications, other uniquely fabric-based technologies appear to be burgeoning in other areas, particularly in fashion and entertainment. E-Textiles are beginning to find their place in mass markets around the world. 

Designers seeking to create an E-Textile application will need to choose an electronic platform from which to contfol the functions they desire in their work. The following platforms lend themselves well to beginners and experts alike to begin their projects  

Consumers becoming health-conscious are focusing on tracking their own health while coaches are discovering new fabric-based technologies to assist them in athletic training. 

Using GSR sensors in socks attached to a dog s paw or on a collar against the skin on a dog s neck could transmit ECG and heart rate to indicate the physical performance of 

In addition, E-Textile communication could be useful in identifying a friend or foe on a battlefield. By employing Infrared LEDs operating at 940 mn, a frequency beyond the eye s ability to see, connected to PMMA plastic fiber bundles able to conduct IR defining alphanumeric characters in a dynamic or static display could be used to instantly determine a person s identity (Fig. 9.13). 

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